Trump set to sign bill to end longest ever US shutdown after funding deal passes Congress

The shutdown, which started on 1 October, has disrupted the lives of millions of Americans as all non-essential parts of government have been frozen.

It came after Democrats and Republicans refused to budge in their stand-off over healthcare spending, causing the first shutdown in almost seven years as the parties failed to agree on a government funding bill.

But on Wednesday night in Washington DC, the House of Representatives voted through a deal to reopen the government after the Senate - the upper chamber of Congress - reached a deal on Monday.

It will now go to the desk of President Donald Trump, who the White House has said will sign it tonight.

What’s a federal government shutdown?

A shutdown of the federal government means that all non-essential functions of government are frozen, affecting everything from social security to air travel to national park access.

Federal agencies are dependent on funding being approved by Congress to allow the president to sign budget legislation for the fiscal year ahead.

If they cannot approve funding (because of political differences - and America is bitterly divided) then those agencies are forced to shut down.

This means that workers cannot do their jobs and are not paid.

Source: Sky News 

--Agencies