At long last, a glimmer of hope in Washington.
After 40 days of political gridlock, the US Senate has finally passed a deal aimed at ending the record-breaking government shutdown.
While it’s only a first step, it’s the clearest sign yet that the impasse may soon be over.
The agreement was hammered out over the weekend between Senate Majority Leader John Thune and the White House.
It managed to pull in a handful of Democrats alongside Republicans.
The procedural vote clears the way for a compromise to fund the government.
It still has to make it through the House of Representatives before federal workers can breathe easy again.
Since October 1, millions have felt the sting of the shutdown.
Partial Government Funding
1.4 million federal employees are without pay, flights are delayed, and food benefits for low-income Americans are running dry.
Democrats had been holding out for a promise to extend healthcare subsidies, a demand that’s only partly addressed in the new deal.
Thune called the bipartisan vote “a chance to get to work and find solutions.”
But not everyone’s cheering. Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer slammed the agreement for failing to tackle the healthcare crisis.
California Governor Gavin Newsom dismissed the move as “pathetic.”
The bill funds key agencies and guarantees back pay for workers, but here’s the catch—it only keeps the government running until January 30.
In other words, the countdown to the next showdown may already be ticking.
