US senators from both parties reached a tentative agreement on Sunday to restore federal funding and end a record-breaking 40-day government shutdown that had paralyzed many government operations.
The bipartisan deal — the first step toward reopening the government — came amid growing warnings that US air travel could soon “slow to a trickle,” with thousands of flights cancelled or delayed over the weekend.
According to reports from CNN and Fox News, lawmakers struck a stopgap funding agreement to keep the government running through January, after lengthy negotiations over health care subsidies, food benefits, and President Donald Trump’s dismissals of federal employees.
As the news broke, Trump told reporters upon returning to the White House from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida: “It looks like we’re getting very close to the shutdown ending.”
The Republican-controlled Senate quickly held a procedural vote to advance the measure, which appeared to have enough Democratic support to move forward. Once approved by the Senate, the legislation would still need to pass the Republican-led House of Representatives before reaching the president’s desk — a process that could take several days.
Earlier, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that if the shutdown persisted, flight cancellations and delays would surge, especially as millions of Americans prepare to travel for Thanksgiving later this month.
By Sunday evening, more than 2,700 flights had been cancelled and nearly 10,000 delayed across the United States, according to tracking site FlightAware. Major hubs including New York’s LaGuardia, Newark Liberty, Chicago O’Hare, and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson were among the hardest hit.
Duffy cautioned that continued disruptions could prevent many Americans from traveling during the Thanksgiving holiday, and that flight operations might take several days to return to normal once federal funding resumes.
The shutdown — now in its 40th day — has left thousands of federal employees without pay, prompting the Trump administration to reduce air traffic operations to ease strain on unpaid controllers.
The proposed legislation, a continuing resolution (CR), would reinstate funding for critical programs, including the SNAP food stamp initiative that supports over 42 million low-income Americans. It would also reverse Trump’s recent firings of federal workers and guarantee a Senate vote on extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits set to expire later this year.
“This deal guarantees a vote to extend Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, which Republicans weren’t willing to do,” said Senator Tim Kaine, a Democrat. He added that the bill would “protect federal workers from baseless firings, reinstate those who have been wrongfully terminated during the shutdown, and ensure they receive back pay.”
However, not all Democrats are backing the compromise. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the agreement for merely promising a future vote on health care subsidies instead of extending them outright.
“I cannot in good faith support this CR that fails to address the health care crisis,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “This fight will and must continue.”
