U.S. Senate Takes First Step to End Longest Government Shutdown in History

Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Senate have reached an agreement to advance a budget bill that would end the longest government shutdown in history. The vote concluded on Sunday night with 60 votes in favor and 40 against.

After receiving approval in the upper chamber of Congress, the provisional funding measure must now return to the House of Representatives for another vote before it reaches President Donald Trump's desk for his signature.

Throughout the duration of the government shutdown, Trump blamed the Democrats and called for an end to the practice of the filibuster, the parliamentary procedure used to delay or block a legislative vote through prolonged debate.

The shutdown resulted in unpaid wages for federal workers, cuts to federal programs, and chaos within the U.S. civil aviation system, which saw thousands of flights canceled or delayed due to a shortage of air traffic controllers.

What Does the Agreement Contain?
The agreement contains the so-called 'minibus,' which includes three full-year appropriations bills to fund certain departments, such as the Department of Agriculture, through the end of the fiscal year next fall, as well as a continuing resolution to fund the rest of the government at current spending levels until January 30, according to NBC News.

Trump on the Shutdown: "It seems like we're getting close to the end"
The legislation is expected to fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, through next September. This was one of the main points of contention during the shutdown.

Furthermore, the agreement also reverses Trump's attempts to furlough federal workers during the shutdown, though it does not include an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies, which are set to expire.

What Caused the Shutdown?
The government shutdown began on October 1st after Democrats and Republicans failed to reach an agreement on provisional funding. The federal 'shutdown' involved the closure of non-essential public services and state agencies, as well as the temporary furlough of a large portion of their employees. The government ran out of funding after Democratic senators blocked a funding bill approved by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

Following the start of the shutdown, a series of votes in Congress to end it failed. Republicans and Democrats could not agree on a bill to fund government services beyond October 1st, the date the previous federal budget expired. Democrats wanted the bill to include an extension for soon-to-expire healthcare subsidies, but Republicans preferred to negotiate health insurance subsidies separately and pass only what they called a "clean resolution."