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It has been the longest-ever US government that started on October 1. Since then, more than a million federal workers have been unpaid, while government benefits and services have been increasingly disrupted. Severe impacts on air traffic have begun to mount in recent days, with hundreds of flights canceled daily, raising the political pressure to end the stalemate. After clearing a key procedural hurdle late Sunday, the Senate was expected to pass the compromise budget late Monday or overnight. The bill will then move to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, which could vote on it as early as Wednesday to send it to President Donald Trump's desk. House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Monday morning that "at least some Democrats now finally appear ready to do what Republicans and President Trump and millions of hardworking American people have been asking them to do for weeks." HEALTHCARE NEGOTIATIONS At the heart of the budgetary impasse is Democrats' demand to extend health insurance subsidies expiring at the end of the year. Republicans insist that any negotiation occur after the government is reopened. Millions of Americans who have purchased health insurance through the "Obamacare" program would see their costs double if the subsidies are not extended. Sunday's breakthrough agreement would reopen the government through January, with some programs funded for the full fiscal year, and reverse some of the Trump administration's firings of federal workers. The bill would restore funding for the SNAP food aid program, which helps more than 42 million lower-income Americans pay for groceries. While Republican leadership has agreed to hold an eventual vote on healthcare, it does not ensure the insurance subsidies will be extended. "After 40 days of uncertainty, I'm profoundly glad to be able to announce that nutrition programs, our veterans, and other critical priorities will have their full-year funding," Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Sunday night. While leaders were rushing to move the bill through Congress, it could still take days to make its way to Trump's desk. Tuesday is a national holiday in the United States.
