US Senate: Key step taken in bid to end longest shutdown in government history

Lawmakers voted 60/40 to approve a bill which is likely to end the historic shutdown

US senators have voted to approve a bill which could prove to end the longest ever government shutdown.

Government services have been temporarily suspended during the 41-day shutdown, with roughly 1.4 million federal employees on upaid leave or working without pay.

The 60-40 vote follows a weekend of negotiations in Washington, which saw a minority of Democrats join with republicans to vote in favour of an agreement. The bill now goes to the US House of Representatives where a vote is expected on Wednesday, November 12.

After the government ran out of money on October 1 many government services have been suspended.

The shutdown has created chaos across a variety of services, including US air travel. 7,000 flights have been delayed and 2,000 cancelled because of staffing shortages.

Trump has demanded that unpaid air traffic controllers are to "get back to work, NOW!" via social media.

04:51Olivia Beeson

Federal workers protected against further layoffs

The legislation protects federal workers against further layoffs through January and guarantees they are paid once the shutdown is over. It also includes a reversal of the mass firings of federal workers by the Trump administration since the shutdown began on October 1.

04:47Olivia Beeson

Trump says US will reopen "very quickly"

President Donald Trump has signalled support for the bill, saying on Monday that “we’re going to be opening up our country very quickly”. The 41-day shutdown could last a few more days as members of the House, which has been on recess since mid-September, return to Washington to vote on the legislation.

04:37Olivia Beeson

December vote to be held to extend health care subsidies

Republicans promised to hold a vote to extend the health care subsidies by mid-December, but there was no guarantee of success.

Ms Shaheen said on Monday that “this was the option on the table” after Republicans had refused to budge.

“We had reached a point where I think a number of us believed that the shutdown had been very effective in raising the concern about health care,” she said, and the promise for a future vote “gives us an opportunity to continue to address that going forward”.

04:30Olivia Beeson

Lawmakers urged to return to Washington 'right now'

House Speaker Mike Johnson urged lawmakers to start returning to Washington “right now” given shutdown-related travel delays.

“We have to do this as quickly as possible,” said Mr Johnson, who has kept the House out of session since mid-September, when the House passed a bill to continue government funding.

04:28Olivia Beeson

Independent senator labels deal 'horrific mistake'

Independent senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont said that striking a deal was “a horrific mistake”. The deal was made after five Democrats switched their votes — the exact number that Republicans needed.

04:20Tannur Anders

US House could vote on bill on Wednesday, ABC reports

ABC News reported that the US House of Representatives could cast its first votes on the funding bill on Wednesday.

04:03Tannur Anders

Government funding to federal agencies to be restored, Reuters reports

Reuters reports that the deal would reinstate government funding for federal agencies that expired last month.

03:41Tannur Anders

Democratic senators broke ranks to join Republicans, AFP reports

AFP News Agency reported that several Democratic senators went against party lines to join Republicans in the 60-40 vote to pass the compromise deal.

03:29Tannur Anders

Majority Leader of the United States Senate comments

Majority Leader of the United States Senate John Thune said, "This has been a very long road, quite literally the longest shutdown in [US] history. I am very, very happy to be able say that we are coming to the end."

03:07Tannur Anders

US Senate votes to end government shutdown

• US Senate lawmakers on Monday voted 60-40 to end a government shutdown
• The vote ends the longest government shutdown in US history
• The bill now moves to the House