The United States may soon see relief from the longest government shutdown in its history, as a temporary resolution appears to be within reach. In a rare display of bipartisanship, Democrats and Republicans have come together to negotiate a tentative agreement aimed at ending the standoff.

Lawmakers, engaged in critical discussions on Sunday, worked diligently to forge a breakthrough deal to resolve the 40-day stalemate. This prolonged shutdown has significantly disrupted the lives of Americans, halting SNAP benefits for 42 million people, grounding thousands of flights, and leaving over a million federal employees without pay.

There is now hope on the horizon, as sources have confirmed to CNN and Axios that Republicans have secured enough support from Democrats to propose a stopgap measure. This proposal would temporarily restore government funding through late January, offering a reprieve from the current chaos.

Despite this progress, the measure still requires formal approval in the Senate before it can be sent back to the House. Ultimately, it will need President Donald Trump’s signature to take effect, bringing this chapter of government gridlock to a close.

The measure must still be formally voted on in the Senate before returning to the House and eventually to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature. 

Trump weighed in on the latest development when he returned to the White House on Sunday, telling reporters: ‘It looks like we’re getting close to the shutdown ending.’

The deal reportedly includes a clause guaranteeing federal emploees who were fired during the shutdown would have their jobs reinstated, as well as an assurance that such measures would not take place in the future.

It also reportedly ensures food stamp funding through the end of the 2026 fiscal year.  

Democrats had previously voted 14 times against Republican continuing resolutions to reopen the government while negotiations were ongoing.

The shutdown left 42 million Americans with no access to their SNAP benefits, forced airlines to cancel thousands of flights and left more than a million federal workers without an income

The travel chaos will only get worse as airlines are mandated to gradually reduce their schedules further over the next week

On Sunday alone, more than 2,000 flights were canceled into, out of, or within the United States and a further 7,000 delayed

Party leaders had up until this point refused to work with the GOP to reopen government unless they agreed to an extension of subsidies for health plans offered under the Affordable Care Act.  

Despite holding a majority in Congress, Republicans only have 53 seats in the Senate, falling short of the 60 votes needed to pass a funding bill.

Both parties have been uneasy about the shutdown’s escalating consequences. They are eager to get the government running again before the situation worsens. 

Concerns range from delayed flights and unpaid federal workers to economic strain and suspension of food assistance for vulnerable families.

The crisis reached boiling point last week as 42 million Americans who rely on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits were informed the money had run dry due to the shutdown for the first time in history.

Already, upwards of 730,000 government employees are working without pay and a further 600,000 have been furloughed as a result of the crisis.

Then, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that staffing shortages as a result of the shutdown are worsening, potentially reducing air travel to a trickle right in time for the holiday season. 

On Sunday alone, more than 2,000 flights were canceled into, out of, or within the United States and a further 7,000 delayed.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) revealed earlier on Sunday that progress was being made toward a deal

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (pictured) has been locked in tense negotiations to get a deal through

The travel chaos will only get worse as airlines are mandated to gradually reduce their schedules further over the next week. 

But not all Democrats are on board with the decision to work with Republicans to end the shutdown. 

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer emerged from a closed door meeting on Sunday evening after news broke that Republicans had secured the numbers they needed.

‘I’m voting no,’ he said, adding that everyday Americans ‘need healthcare.’

Senator Elissa Slotkin said: ‘I always said, like, it’s got to do something concrete on health care, and it’s hard to see how that happened.’

And Senator Bernie Sanders warned it ‘would be a policy and political disaster’ to cave to the Republican demands after such a resounding win during state elections last week. 

‘My own thought is that it would be a horrific mistake to cave in to Trump right now,’ he said.

‘Essentially, if Democrats cave on this issue, what it will say to Donald Trump is that he has a green light to go forward toward authoritarianism, and I think that would be a tragedy for this country.’

But Virginia Democrat Tim Kaine revealed he would vote in favor of the proposal after securing a promise to give laid-off federal workers their jobs back, with back pay.  

‘This legislation will protect federal workers from baseless firings, reinstate those who have been wrongfully terminated during the shutdown, and ensure federal workers receive back pay, as required by a law I got passed in 2019,’ Kaine said. 

‘That’s a critical step that will help federal employees and all Americans who rely on government services.’

And Independent Maine Senator Angus King was also won over, noting the unprecedented length of the shutdown had forced some to reconsider the initial subsidies they were demanding.

‘I think people were saying, ”We’re not going to get what we want”,’ he said. 

Earlier on Sunday reports emerged from Washington that a deal to end the stalemate was ‘within reach.’ 

At least 10 Democrats were reportedly ready to vote for the package of bills, which would have given the Republicans the numbers they needed.

The deal reportedly would include a vote on extending Obamacare tax credits in December. 

In addition to keeping the government funded through January, the stopgap measure reportedly would provide full-year funding for Congress, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, including military construction projects, through the next fiscal year.

Public frustration with the prolonged shutdown is intensifying, increasing pressure on both parties to reach an agreement.

But amid negotiations, a high-ranking Democrat acknowledged the political leverage hardships caused by the shutdown create for her party.

Massachusetts Congresswoman Katherine Clark, Minority Whip of the United States House of Representatives, admitted families struggling during the shutdown could be used as ‘leverage’ for her party.

‘Shutdowns are terrible. And of course, there will be families that are going to suffer. We take that responsibility very seriously, but it is one of the few leverage times we have,’ Clark said.

The House of Representatives has been in recess since Republicans passed their funding bill, leaving the resolution of the shutdown in the hands of their Senate colleagues.

The Trump administration was ordered to address food insecurity which had come as a result of the shutdown by fully funding SNAP benefits by tapping agriculture reserves.

Monica Lopez Gonzales of Feeding America called the situation ‘catastrophic’

SNAP typically costs about $9 billion a month. The Trump administration planned to cover only 65 per cent of November benefits using contingency funds until the order by District Judge Jack McConnell in Rhode Island.

The administration appealed, arguing courts cannot appropriate funds, and on Friday the Supreme Court temporarily blocked McConnell’s order, giving the White House more time to fight the mandate. 

As a result, full benefits remain uncertain, and partial payments promised by the USDA have yet to reach most households.

The fallout has been immediate. Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief network, reported a sixfold spike in traffic to its food-bank locator, with more than 28,000 daily visitors seeking help. 

‘This situation is catastrophic,’ said Monica Lopez Gonzales, the group’s chief marketing and communications officer, told Fortune. ‘Right now, 42 million people are having a hard time affording groceries, and their lives are being disrupted because their benefits have been disrupted.’

Food banks across the country are seeing longer lines and empty shelves. ‘The lines are getting longer, and the food is running out early,’ Gonzales said. ‘We see veterans, older adults, moms, and kids – everyone is stressed.’