US senators reached a bipartisan deal on Sunday to resume federal funding, ending a government shutdown that has stretched to a record 40 days and brought many federal operations to a halt. The agreement between Democratic and Republican senators a first step toward halting the shutdown comes amid warnings that US air travel could “slow to a trickle” as thousands more flights faced cancellations or delays over the weekend. According to outlets including CNN and Fox News, lawmakers reached a stopgap deal to fund the government through January, following disputes over health care subsidies, food benefits, and President Donald Trump’s firings of federal employees. Commenting on the development after returning to the White House from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Trump said, “It looks like we’re getting very close to the shutdown ending.” The Republican-led Senate quickly held a procedural vote on Sunday to move the measure forward, which appeared to have sufficient support from Democrats to advance. Once the Senate approves the bill, it must pass the House of Representatives, also under Republican control, before heading to Trump’s desk for signature — a process that could take several days. Earlier on Sunday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that continued shutdown could further worsen flight disruptions, particularly as Americans prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday later this month. By Sunday evening, more than 2,700 US flights had been canceled, with nearly 10,000 delayed, according to FlightAware data. Airports in the New York City area, Chicago’s O’Hare, and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson were particularly hard-hit. Newark Liberty International Airport, a major northeastern hub, was among the worst affected. At New York’s LaGuardia Airport, more than half of all outbound flights were delayed. Splits over health care Without a deal, Duffy warned that many Americans planning to travel for the November 27 Thanksgiving holiday would “not going to be able to get on an airplane, because there are not going to be that many flights that fly if this thing doesn’t open back up.” It could take days for flight schedules to recover after the shutdown is finally ended, and federal funding — including salaries — starts to flow again. Sunday marked the third day of flight reductions at airports nationwide, after the Trump administration ordered reductions to ease strain on air traffic controllers working without pay. According to lawmakers, the bill would restore funding for the SNAP food stamp program which helps more than 42 million lower-income Americans pay for groceries. It would also reverse Trump’s firings of thousands of federal workers over the past month, and assure a vote on extending health care subsidies that are set to expire at the end of this year. “This deal guarantees a vote to extend Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, which Republicans weren’t willing to do,” Senate Democrat Tim Kaine said in a statement. The bill — a so-called continuing resolution (CR) to keep government funded at pre-shutdown levels — “will protect federal workers from baseless firings, reinstate those who have been wrongfully terminated during the shutdown, and ensure federal workers receive back pay” as required by law, he added. But many Senate Democrats are opposed to the deal, including the chamber’s top Democrat Chuck Schumer, who expressed anger that it offers a vote for extending the health care subsidies instead of extending them directly. “I can not in good faith support this CR that fails to address the health care crisis,” Schumer told the chamber, adding: “This fight will and must continue.”
US Senators Strike Deal to End Historic Government Shutdown
