US Senate passes measure to reopen government

The bill, which has already passed the House, would fund the government through January 30. It also includes three spending bills for the entire fiscal year. After the Senate approves the bill, it will return to the House for President Donald Trump to sign into law, a process that could take several days.

A key part of the deal is a commitment to hold a vote in December on extending the Affordable Care Act (ACA) health care subsidies, which help low-income people buy private health insurance and have been a priority for Democrats in the negotiations.

The vote to approve the deal ended 60-40, just enough to overcome a Senate filibuster. “It looks like we’re going to end the shutdown,” President Trump told reporters at the White House before the vote.

The bill also temporarily prohibits federal agencies from firing employees through January 30—a victory for unions and workers. The Trump administration had been aiming to cut staff, with about 2.2 million people currently employed by the federal government, and 300,000 expected to leave before the end of the year.

The Senate is scheduled to meet again on November 10 to speed up the bill's passage. If the two sides cannot reach a consensus, the process could drag into next week, preventing the government from reopening immediately.

“This is a positive step forward,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune. “Hopefully we can move forward tomorrow with a vote if we can reach consensus.”

The 40-day shutdown has paralyzed many agencies, put hundreds of thousands of employees on unpaid leave, closed national parks, disrupted food aid and severely affected air traffic, especially as the Thanksgiving (November 27) travel season approaches.

Source: https://congluan.vn/thuong-vien-my-thong-qua-bien-phap-mo-cua-lai-chinh-phu-10317252.html