Washington D.C. – A deal brokered in the Senate appears poised to end a 40-day partial US government shutdown, as several centrist Democrats sided with Republicans to advance a funding agreement. The move comes after weeks of deadlock over demands to address health insurance subsidies.
The agreement will fully fund the US military, the Department of Agriculture, and legislative operations through August. all other government programs will receive temporary funding through January, potentially setting the stage for another shutdown showdown early next year. Government workers, a key Democratic constituency, will resume receiving paychecks.
The standoff began when Democratic leaders insisted on addressing subsidies for health insurance purchased through government-run exchanges before supporting new funding for government operations. Ultimately, they secured only a promise of a Senate vote on an extension of those subsidies – with no guarantee of action from the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.
Republicans, including Donald Trump, are expected to welcome the outcome, allowing them to refocus on longer-term legislative priorities. However,the compromise may deepen divisions within the Democratic party,with some members likely to view the retreat without securing the insurance subsidy issue as unneeded.
Anthony Zurcher, North America correspondent for BBC News, reported the developments. The Senate deal was reached at 04:05 GMT.
