The US Senate has made significant progress as bipartisan negotiations over the weekend allowed a temporary funding bill to move forward.
It marks a major step toward ending the longest government shutdown in the nation’s history.
In a procedural vote over the weekend, the Senate voted 60-40 to pass a bill that would fund government operations through January 30.
It also includes a full year of spending after successful negotiations between several centrist Democratic senators and Republicans.
The bill blocks major cuts to the government’s workforce and ensures that most furloughed federal workers will be paid their back pay.
However, it does not include an immediate extension of health insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which has been a major source of political friction between the two parties.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has promised a separate vote on the ACA in December despite criticism from Democratic leaders.
Democrats see it as a government failure to strengthen public health protections.
The effort comes after a 40-day shutdown that has cost the economy billions of dollars, affected thousands of government workers and affected many daily services.
If the bill passes the House of Representatives and is sent to President Donald Trump for signature, the government will be fully operational again.
However, uncertainty remains as the House of Representatives must convene to approve the bill, and an exact date for the government to reopen has not been set.
However, the development has given strong hope that the end of the budget conflict and the US economy are ready to rebound.
