Senate advances bill to end record US government shutdown

After 40 days of deadlock, the US Senate voted on Sunday to advance a stopgap funding bill aimed at ending the longest government shutdown in American history. The procedural “cloture” vote passed 60-40, with eight Democrats breaking ranks to back the Republican-led measure that would reopen the government until January 30.

The temporary deal funds key departments such as food aid and the legislative branch for a year but punts the fight over Affordable Care Act (ACA) healthcare subsidies to December, a major Democratic priority left unresolved.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said he could not “in good faith” support the proposal, warning his party had merely “sounded the alarm” on healthcare. Bernie Sanders called the decision to yield “a horrific mistake”.

Still, the vote sets up a likely end to the shutdown, which began October 1 and has left hundreds of thousands of federal workers unpaid. If the Senate finalises the bill, it must then pass the House and be signed by President Donald Trump, a process that could still take days.