End to US govt shutdown in sight

WASHINGTON:

The longest-ever US government shutdown moved forward Monday toward an eventual resolution, after several Democratic senators broke ranks to join Republicans in a 60-40 vote passing a compromise deal — sparking intra-party backlash.

Since October 1, the first day of the shutdown, more than a million federal workers have been unpaid, while government benefits and services have been increasingly disrupted.

Severe impacts on air traffic have begun to mount in recent days, with more than 1,000 flights canceled daily, raising the political pressure to end the stalemate.

"We'll be opening up our country very quickly," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, adding: "the deal is very good."

After the vote, Senate Republican Leader John Thune wrote on X that he was glad to support the "clear path to ending this unnecessary shutdown in a responsible way that quickly pays federal workers and reopens the federal government."

Democratic Senator John Fetterman, who voted to support the Republican measure, posted to X Monday night about his decision.

"Feed everyone. Pay our military, government workers, and Capitol Police. End the chaos in airports. Country over party," Fetterman said. With the stopgap funding bill passed through the Senate, the legislation moves to the House of Representatives for a vote, which like the Senate is controlled by Republicans.

The chamber is expected to reconvene as early as Wednesday, as Tuesday is a national holiday.

"It appears to us this morning that our long national nightmare is finally coming to an end, and we're grateful for that," House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Monday.

"At least some Democrats now finally appear ready to do what Republicans and President Trump and millions of hardworking American people have been asking them to do for weeks."