The longest US government shutdown in history could end within days after the Senate on Monday (early Tuesday in Manila) approved a major funding bill in a 60–40 vote, sending the measure to the House of Representatives for a final vote as soon as Wednesday.
The legislation, negotiated after weeks of political brinkmanship, would extend funding for most federal agencies through January 30 and provide full-year budgets for several departments.
House Republicans, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, expressed confidence the package will pass the lower chamber.
President Donald Trump has signaled he will sign the measure immediately, which would reopen shuttered agencies and put hundreds of thousands of federal workers back on the job.
Johnson urged lawmakers to return to Washington early, warning of travel disruptions caused by the shutdown’s ripple effects. “Members should plan for delays,” he told reporters Monday, as air travel chaos deepened across the country.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered airlines to scale back operations amid staffing shortages, prompting carriers to cancel roughly 6 percent of flights at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports on Tuesday — up from a 4 percent reduction earlier in the week.
Financial markets reacted cautiously, with investors welcoming signs of progress but remaining wary of further fiscal standoffs. Economists estimate the shutdown has already cost billions in lost output.
If the House follows the Senate’s lead, the bill could reach President Trump’s desk by midweek, bringing a hard-fought end to a record-breaking impasse that has tested Washington’s ability to govern.
