The United States Senate has passed a bill to end the Government shutdown.
A group of Democrat Senators broke ranks with their party to develop the bill with Republicans.
Other Democrats oppose the bill, saying it abandons their fight for healthcare subsidies.
It still needs to pass the House of Representatives.
The shutdown has lasted 41 days, during which time millions of federal employees, including air traffic controllers, have worked without pay.
Background
A U.S. Government shutdown happens when Congress fails to pass legislation to fund federal operations.
This tends to happen at the end of a U.S. fiscal year (30 September), when federal funding for the nextyear must be approved.
The Government shut down on 1 October after President Donald Trump and fellow Republicans refused to compromise on budget increases for healthcare benefits demanded by Democrats.
Shutdown
Since the shutdown began, $US1.7 trillion in federal agency operations have been affected, forcing Government departments toterminate non-essential employees.
More than 4,000 staff were laid off across departments including the Treasury, Commerce, Education, Energy, and Health.
Funding to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits program, which serves 40 million people, has been affected by the shutdown.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) pays the majority of the funding for SNAP, while states pay some administration fees.
While payments were made in October, the Federal Government said it would not continue funding for November.
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More than 20 states launched a lawsuit to force USDA to provide the funding.
After a federal judge ruled in the states’ favour, the Government escalated the case to the Supreme Court, which is now deciding the matter.
Some states handed out full benefits for the month despite the dispute.
Another major impact of the shutdown has been on airport security staff and air traffic controllers, who are Government workers. They have not been paid since the shutdown began 41 days ago.
Many have missed their unpaid shifts in recent days – often to work second, paying jobs –causing thousands of delays and cancellations.
The Federal Aviation Administration has directed a temporary reduction of flights at 40 key airports to ensure “air travel remains safe.”
Vote
On Monday night (local time), 60 Senators voted in favour of a bill to end the shutdown. This group included seven Democrats and one Democrat-aligned independent.
Republicans have a majority in the Senate, so would not normally have needed Democrat support, however funding bills require a 60-40 vote.
The bill funds the government until 30 January 2026, reverses firings carried out by the Trump administration at the start of the shutdown, and prevents further firings before January.
What’s next?
The bill now moves to the House of Representatives. Most House Democrats – including party leadership – oppose the bill because it doesn’t include healthcare subsidies.
Some Democrats are calling for party leadership changes, with California Representative Ro Khanna labellingSenate leader Chuck Schumer “no longer effective.”
The bill is likely to pass the House, where Republicans have a majority and don’t need extra support. Trump has said he will then sign it into law, telling CNN it is a “very good” deal.
