U.S. Senate Passes Funding Bill to End Longest Government Shutdown

U.S. Senate Passes Funding Bill to End Longest Government Shutdown

The U.S. Senate has passed a government funding bill to end the historic 40-day federal shutdown, according to Extra News.

After weeks of negotiations, Republicans and Democrats reached a temporary bipartisan agreement to restore federal funding until January 2026, following sharp disagreements over healthcare subsidies, food assistance, and President Donald Trump’s decisions to dismiss federal employees.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune stated that the Senate will vote on a modified version of the House-approved bill, combining a short-term funding measure with three full-year appropriations packages. The House of Representatives must still approve the final version before it is sent to President Trump for signing — a process expected to take several days.

Democrats have resisted passing the bill quickly, pushing for guarantees to extend healthcare benefits under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). A separate vote on healthcare subsidies is expected later.

The shutdown — the longest in U.S. history — has affected hundreds of thousands of federal workers, disrupted food programs, national parks, and air travel. According to flight tracking platform FlightAware, over 2,300 flights were canceled and 8,000 delayed due to staff shortages among air traffic controllers working without pay.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that with Thanksgiving approaching, air travel may face further chaos as airlines reduce flights and passengers encounter growing delays nationwide.