WASHINGTON —

The Senate voted late Sunday to pass a compromise legislation to fund the government, taking the first step toward ending the longest shutdown in U.S. history .

The agreement will fund multiple agencies and programs for the entire fiscal year, and extend funding for other programs through Jan. 30, 2026.

However, with the government being shut down for nearly seven weeks, the delivery of funds for crucial programs like the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps vulnerable families pay their energy bills, will still be delayed.

The federally funded program helped nearly six million U.S. households with their energy costs during the fiscal year of 2024. States typically receive their LIHEAP allocations in early November, according to Mark Wolfe, executive

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