In a late night "test" vote, the U.S. Senate advanced a bill which, when passed, will re-open the Government. The "test" vote was 60-40.
Under long-established U.S. Senate Rules, debate on a Bill cannot be stopped unless and until sixty (60) Senators invoke "Cloture." It is a rule peculiar to the Senate, and helped it to become "the most deliberative body in the world."
Without 60 Votes, if the Minority Party wants to grind the Senate to a halt, they can, which is exactly what Democrats have done with a Continuing Resolution for the past 40 days.
Republicans only have 53 seats; they needed seven Democrats to vote to invoke Cloture but could only get three (3), so Debate on the Continuing Resolution COULD NOT END.
Negotiations between the Parties have been extremely tough for those 40 days, but apparently there is a breakthrough tonight, and the Senate Compromise will likely be voted upon either later tonight-into-Monday, or during Monday.
At that point, the compromise Bill __may__ have to go back to the House of Representatives for passage, but no obstacles are expected in the House.
Ergo, tomorrow, if things go as planned, the federal government of the United States will be able to re-open this week, because Congress will have finally passed Appropriation of money to pay the salaries.
Under the U.S. System of government, unless Congress appropriates money, no department or Branch of Government is lawfully allowed to expend money for salaries or anything else. Congress controls the purse strings.
Unless Congress approves money, the government stops.
