The U.S. Senate on Monday approved a compromise bill to end the longest government shutdown in American history, concluding a weeks-long standoff that disrupted food aid programs, delayed paychecks for hundreds of thousands of federal employees, and severely affected air travel across the country.
The legislation passed with a 60–40 vote, supported by a majority of Republicans and eight Democrats who had earlier sought — unsuccessfully — to tie government funding to a healthcare spending bill set to expire at the end of the year.
While the agreement opens the door for another vote on the spending package in December, it does not ensure long-term funding.
The deal will restore funding for federal agencies that were shut down since October 1 and effectively halt President Donald Trump’s efforts to downsize the federal workforce, temporarily blocking any layoffs until January 30.
The measure now heads to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, where Speaker Mike Johnson has expressed his intention to ratify it on Wednesday before sending it to President Trump for final approval.
Trump hailed the deal as “very good,” describing it as a step toward stabilizing government operations.
Under the agreement, government funding will be extended until January 30, keeping federal spending on track to add roughly $1.8 trillion annually to the nation’s $38 trillion debt.
In recent months, Trump has faced criticism for unilaterally canceling billions in spending and reducing federal workers’ pay, actions that bypassed Congress’s constitutional authority over budgetary matters and contradicted previous spending laws passed by lawmakers.
