The government shutdown is another step closer to coming to an end after the Senate voted in favor of a bill to fund the government.

The Senate passed a measure that would fund the entire government through Jan. 30 by a vote of 60 to 40 on Monday night. Thirty-eight Senate Democrat Caucus members, led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., voted against the measure despite the mounting pain the longest government shutdown in U.S. history has caused. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was the only Republican to vote against the measure, while Sen. Bernie Sanders, who caucuses with the Democrats, also opposed it.

The funding stopgap measure still has to pass the House of Representatives before it could be sent to President Donald Trump for his signature. Trump has said he would sign it into law.

Some government agencies and initiatives would receive funding for the full fiscal year, including the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the FDA, congressional operations, and construction projects for the military. The bill would bring back the thousands of furloughed federal personnel to their workplaces and compensate them for their missed paychecks. 

“To millions of people, I think it’s been absolutely shocking, really a moral indictment on this body,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., told reporters on Capitol Hill. “I’ve never seen anything like it, and it’s just stunning. So I’m glad it’s finally coming to an end, I hope.”

Why End the Government Shutdown........

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