WASHINGTON, DC: On the 40th day of the most extended government shutdown in US history, senators returned from recess Sunday for a rare weekend session, preparing to vote on whether to advance a House-passed spending bill aimed at reopening the government.

The Senate needs 60 votes to move forward on the continuing resolution, which has become central to the bipartisan effort to end the weeks-long impasse.

According to CBS News, a deal was reached in the Senate ahead of the vote, with at least eight Democrats prepared to support advancing the funding measure on Sunday night. The breakthrough comes after days of backchannel negotiations between Senate Republicans, centrist Democrats, and the White House.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune is leading a strategy to advance the House-passed

See Full Page