Deal in US Senate may end record shutdown

Divisions over health care funding remain

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From left: Sen Angus King (I-ME), Sen Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Sen Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Sen Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Sen Tim Kaine (D-VA) at a news conference during a vote at the US Capitol in Washington on Sunday.BLOOMBERG

(BLOOMBERG)

US senators reached a bipartisan deal on Sunday that would resume federal funding and end a shutdown which has stretched to a record 40 days and forced many government operations to grind to a halt.

The deal between Democratic and Republican senators — just the first step to halting the shutdown — came as authorities warned US air travel could soon “slow to a trickle” as thousands more flights were cancelled or delayed over the weekend.

Outlets including CNN reported lawmakers had reached a stopgap agreement to fund the government through January after wrangling over health care subsidies, food benefits and President Donald Trump's firings of federal employees.

As news of the breakthrough emerged, Mr Trump told reporters when he arrived at the White House after a weekend at his Mara-Lago estate in Florida: “It looks like we're getting very close to the shutdown ending”