Trump signals US government shutdown may soon end
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President Trump says the US is "very close" to ending the government shutdown as Senate Democrats and the White House back a new funding deal.
President Donald Trump indicated on Sunday that a resolution to the ongoing government shutdown is near, suggesting that a breakthrough may be imminent after weeks of political gridlock.
"It looks like we’re getting very close to the shutdown ending," Trump told reporters.
The shutdown, which began after Congress failed to pass a new budget by the October 1 start of the fiscal year, has forced several federal agencies to halt operations due to lack of funding.
According to reports from Axios, Senate Democrats have expressed openness to a new package of funding bills that could end the standoff.
The Senate reached a breakthrough agreement to extend government funding, marking a major step toward ending the longest shutdown in US history. The chamber is currently voting on the procedural measure to advance the deal.
The bipartisan agreement was reached after at least eight centrist Senate Democrats struck a compromise with Republican leaders and the White House. In exchange for supporting the funding bill, Democrats secured a commitment for a future vote on extending enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies.
Senate leaders outline next steps
On the Senate floor, Majority Leader John Thune confirmed he has pledged to Democrats that a vote on Affordable Care subsidies will occur no later than the second week of December.
"We have senators, both Democrats and Republicans, who are eager to get to work to address that crisis in a bipartisan way,” Thune said, referring to the rising cost of health care. “We also have a president who is willing to sit down and get to work on this issue. So I’m looking forward to see what solutions might be brought forward.”
The funding package must still clear the House before heading to President Donald Trump’s desk for final approval.
