The US Senate took a major step toward re-opening the government after a group of moderate Democrats broke with their party leaders and voted to support a deal to end the record-breaking shutdown. The Senate voted 60-40 on a procedural measure to advance the bill Sunday evening. The House also needs to approve the measure before it goes to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature. Under the agreement, Congress would pass full-year funding for the departments of Agriculture, Veterans Affairs and Congress itself, while funding other agencies through Jan. 30. The bill would provide pay for furloughed government workers, resume withheld federal payments to states and localities and recall agency employees who were laid off during the shutdown.

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