The United States Senate voted 60-40 on Sunday night to end the weeks-long government shutdown, taking the first big step toward reopening federal agencies later this week, Politico reported.

The breakthrough came after eight Senate Democrats agreed to support a bipartisan funding package that would fully fund key federal departments for the rest of the fiscal year and extend funding for others until January 30, 2026. The deal came after several weeks of tense negotiations between Senate leaders, the White House, and moderate lawmakers.

In return, Democrats secured two major commitments from the Trump administration, including the rehiring of thousands of federal employees who had been dismissed at the start of the shutdown and a promise to hold a Senate floor vote in December on extending the expiring Obamacare tax credits.

Sunday’s vote ended a six-week deadlock that had disrupted the lives of millions of Americans, delayed salaries for federal workers, and suspended vital services such as food assistance and childcare programs. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the decision marked "a path forward to get America working again."

"I am optimistic that after almost six weeks of this shutdown, we'll finally be able to end it," Thune said from the Senate floor, according to CNN.

The vote came just hours after a small group of moderate Democrats reached a deal with Republicans to use a House-passed stopgap bill as the base for a wider funding package.

While the deal was seen as a step forward, it also exposed rifts within the Democratic Party. Many liberal lawmakers opposed the plan for failing to ensure the continuation of Affordable Care Act subsidies, calling it a "half-step" that left healthcare coverage uncertain.

Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said he would vote "no deal without health care," voicing the growing discontent among progressives.

Centrist Democrats, however, defended the compromise as a practical way to end the financial and social strain caused by the shutdown.

"There's no good solution," said Senator John Hickenlooper of Colorado. "Some of my colleagues believe Trump will stop at nothing to prevent that subsidy from being restored. We tried it and now we're going to use every other tool. We're not going to quit," CNN quoted.

The agreement came after five weeks of discussions led by Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Angus King of Maine, Senate Majority Leader Thune, and White House officials.

Shaheen said Republicans had made it clear that waiting any longer would not result in a better outcome. "Now I understand that not all of my Democratic colleagues are satisfied with this agreement, but waiting another week or another month wouldn't deliver a better outcome," she said.

Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia said the deal would ensure that all federal employees receive their back pay and prevent further layoffs for the rest of the fiscal year. "Lawmakers know their constituents expect them to vote for it, and if they don't, they could very well be replaced at the ballot box," he added.