In preliminary vote, American senators approve agreement to end ‘shutdown’ in the US

The United States Senate concluded on Sunday night the vote to move forward with the legislation that will reopen the government, after a decisive block of Democratic senators gave their approval. With the support of eight Democrats, Republicans obtained the minimum number of votes to approve a compromise spending package that would fund most federal agencies until January — a measure that could end weeks of deadlock that kept the government shut down for 40 days. This is a preliminary vote, but it paves the way for the agreement to begin its journey through Congress. The project would still need to be debated and approved again in the Senate, then in the House of Representatives, and finally signed by President Donald Trump to end the shutdown. Amid ‘shutdown’: Trump administration demands states ‘undo’ work to fully pay for food assistance Impact on airports: Over 1,500 flights canceled on the second day of travel reduction order The preliminary vote, approved by 60 to 40 and held during a rare Sunday session, paved the way for the agreement to begin its journey through Congress. The project would still need to be debated and approved in the Senate, then in the House of Representatives, and finally signed by President Donald Trump to end the shutdown. The main demand from Democrats in the fight against the government shutdown was the extension of health insurance subsidies from the Affordable Care Act, which expire at the end of the year, a topic not addressed in the agreement voted on today. On the floor, during the vote this Sunday, Senate majority leader John Thune stated that he had committed to Democrats to hold a vote on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies until the second week of December. Nevertheless, ending the shutdown will leave a bitter taste for many Democrats.