WASHINGTON — After more than a month of stalemate, the Senate on Sunday took a crucial step toward reopening the government, when a small but critical group of Democrats broke from their party and voted with Republicans to advance legislation that would end the longest government shutdown in history

The shutdown is not over yet. Sunday’s 60-40 vote cleared the way for the Senate to formally debate the spending measure before a final vote. If the Senate approves it, the package still must be passed by the House — which has been on an extended recess and has not yet scheduled a return date — and signed by President Donald Trump.

Still, the deal that senators reached Sunday night reflected important lessons for both parties from the shutdown fight and is likely to have far-reaching policy a

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