U.S. Senate Passes Bill to Reopen Government After 41-Day Shutdown

ARK News.. The U.S. Senate has passed legislation to reopen the federal government after a record 41-day shutdown, marking the end of the longest government closure in American history. A small group of Democrats voted with Republicans in favor of the deal despite strong criticism from within their own party.

According to media reports, the shutdown — which has paralyzed several federal agencies since mid-September — may continue for a few more days as members of the House of Representatives, currently in recess, return to Washington to vote on the measure.

President Donald Trump praised the bipartisan agreement, calling it “a very good deal.” Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said the shutdown would end “very soon,” adding that he would fully abide by the terms of the deal, which includes reinstating federal employees who were laid off during the closure.

The final Senate vote was 60–40, breaking a six-week stalemate in which Democrats had demanded negotiations with Republicans to extend healthcare tax credits expiring on January 1. Republicans initially refused, but five moderate Democrats eventually shifted their votes following mounting public pressure caused by delayed food aid, airport disruptions, and the continued lack of pay for hundreds of thousands of federal workers.

House Speaker Mike Johnson urged lawmakers to return to Washington “immediately” due to travel delays linked to the shutdown, stating, “We must act as quickly as possible.”

The House of Representatives has been out of session since mid-September, when it last passed a temporary funding bill to keep the government running.

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