US Senate passes bill to end longest government shutdown

KABUL (Pajhwok): The United States Senate has passed a compromise bill aimed at ending the longest government shutdown in the country’s history, a media report said on Tuesday.

The Senate approved the measure on Monday evening with 60 votes in favour and 40 against, Reuters reported.

The move ended weeks of political deadlock that had disrupted food benefits for millions, left hundreds of thousands of federal workers unpaid and caused major air traffic delays.

The report said nearly all Republican senators supported the bill, while eight Democratic senators broke ranks with their party to vote in favour.

The spending bill will now move to the House of Representatives for approval before being sent to President Donald Trump for signature to formally end the shutdown.

The agreement will restore funding for federal agencies whose budgets expired on October 1 and halt President Trump’s efforts to downsize the federal workforce, preventing any layoffs until January 30.

Earlier, Trump had said he was ready to sign the legislation.

The breakthrough came after intensive weekend negotiations between Republicans and several Democrats aimed at bringing federal employees back to work and resuming essential government services.

kk/ma