WASHINGTON -- Speaker Mike Johnson said Monday that House lawmakers should start returning to Washington "right now" after a small group of Senate Democrats broke a 40-day stalemate late Sunday evening and voted with Republicans to move forward with legislation that would end the government shutdown.

It is unclear when the Senate will hold final votes on the legislation. But Johnson said the "nightmare is finally coming to an end" after the Senate voted 60-40 to consider a compromise bill to fund the government.

"We have to do this as quickly as possible," Johnson said at a news conference Monday morning. He has kept the House out of session since mid-September, when the House passed a bill to continue government funding.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., makes a statement to r

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