US government shutdown agreement reached

Bipartisan Senators Reach Preliminary US Government Shutdown Agreement
Funding Restored for Key Agencies
Longest Shutdown in US History Nears Its End

A group of Democratic and Republican senators reached an agreement on Sunday that will bring an end to the longest federal government shutdown in the history of the United States, according to multiple US media outlets.

The preliminary agreement was negotiated by Democratic senators Angus King, Jeanne Shaheen, and Maggie Hassan, along with several Republican senators, Politico reported.

According to Bloomberg, the agreement will allow Congress to approve funding for the Departments of Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, and other agencies through January 30, while also enabling the payment of salaries to approximately 650,000 federal employees whose pay had been suspended.

Some furloughed workers will also be reinstated under the new arrangement.

Congress to Vote on Ending the Government Shutdown

According to Fox News, senators are expected to begin voting Sunday night, though the House of Representatives will still need to convene to officially end the federal shutdown — now lasting 40 days, the longest in US history — caused by the lack of a budget extension.

As part of the compromise, Senate Majority Whip John Thune promised Democrats a December vote to extend subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), which are set to expire at the end of the year and had become a major obstacle to reaching a deal.

“It looks like we are closer to an agreement to end the shutdown,” said President Donald Trump Sunday night upon returning to the White House from Mar-a-Lago, Florida.

The Cost of a 40-Day Shutdown

The federal government shutdown — now reaching a record 40 days — resulted in suspended pay for hundreds of thousands of federal workers, the closure of essential services, delayed SNAP food assistance, and major disruptions in airports and air travel due to a shortage of air traffic controllers and security staff.

Without paychecks, many federal workers were forced to rely on food donations or emergency loans, while many others continued working without compensation to keep critical government services running.