Senate reaches temporary agreement over budget

A bipartisan group of negotiators has reached across the aisle to finalise an agreement to reopen the US federal government almost 60 hours after it first shut down.

On Monday afternoon, the Senate passed a short-term spending bill after voting to end debates by a vote of 81-18, with the measure sent to the President for his signature shortly thereafter, laying the groundwork for the government's reopening by Monday evening.

The bill was set to fund the government until 8 February and reauthorize the Children's Health Insurance Programme (CHIP) for another six years.

Nevertheless, the three-day shutdown exposed a growing rift among Democratic senators, with a majority of Democrats having forced the shutdown over amendments to the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals legislation that protected young undocumented immigrants, known as "dreamers", from deportation.

Monday's agreement did not reinstate those protections.

However, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell did commit to allowing a Senate vote on immigration measures after 8 February should party leaders not be able to reach a compromise solution with the White House previously.

"So long as the government remains open, it would be my intention to take up legislation here in the Senate that would address DACA, border security and related issues," Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said.

"This immigration debate will have a level playing field at the outset and an amendment process that is fair to all sides," he added.

"The Republican majority now has 17 days to prevent the dreamers from being deported," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer responded.