A deal aimed at ending the United States government shutdown has passed the Senate, signaling the first major breakthrough in efforts to resolve the record-breaking budget impasse.
After a weekend of intense negotiations in Washington, a minority of Democrats joined Republicans to back the agreement, which seeks to restore government funding after operations were halted on October 1 due to a lapse in appropriations.
The Senate vote marks an important procedural step toward passing a bipartisan compromise, but several hurdles remain — including approval by the House of Representatives — before federal employees can return to work and public services resume fully.
The current shutdown, now in its 40th day, is the longest in U.S. history, disrupting key federal operations and leaving hundreds of thousands of government workers without pay.
While details of the deal have not been fully disclosed, lawmakers on both sides have described it as a “temporary funding measure” designed to reopen the government while broader budget negotiations continue.
