US senators take huge step to end record shutdown

The US Senate took a major step on Sunday toward ending the longest government shutdown in American history when it cleared the way for a formal debate on a motion to resume funding to federal agencies.

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The Republican-led chamber approved a procedural vote by 60 votes to 40, putting a hard limit on how much longer senators can discuss the legislative measure.

It gave lawmakers a maximum of 30 more hours to conduct debate before voting on the motion, which will only need 50 votes to pass.

It will still need approval from the Republican-controlled House of Representatives before it lands on President Donald Trump’s desk - a process which could take days.

But the development represents significant progress toward ending a government shutdown that has dragged on for over 40 days, halted funding to federal programmes and disrupted air travel and other essential industries.