U.S. Senate Passes Bill to End Longest Government Shutdown in Nation’s History
Washington, The Gulf Observer: The United States Senate on Monday approved legislation to end the nation’s longest-ever government shutdown, now in its 41st day, marking a significant step toward restoring normal federal operations.
By a vote of 60-40, senators passed H.R. 5371, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026, as amended. The bill provides funding to keep the government operational through January 30, 2026, and includes three-year appropriations packages for essential federal agencies and programs. It also reinstates federal employees who lost their positions during the shutdown.
Several Democrats — including Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, Dick Durbin, John Fetterman, Maggie Hassan, Tim Kaine, Angus King, Jacky Rosen, and Jeanne Shaheen — joined Republicans in supporting the measure. Republican Senator Rand Paul voted against the bill.
“This has been a very long road, quite literally the longest shutdown in history. I am very, very happy to be able to say that we are coming to the end,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said following the vote.
The legislation now heads to the House of Representatives for final approval. The lower chamber is set to reconvene on Wednesday, its first session since September 19, after House Speaker Mike Johnson urged lawmakers to return to Washington “right now” amid ongoing disruptions to air travel and public services caused by the prolonged shutdown.
The shutdown began on October 1, following a breakdown in negotiations over federal spending priorities. Since then, thousands of federal employees have been furloughed or forced to work without pay, while numerous government operations and services have been curtailed or suspended across the country.
