Trump says deal to end US government shutdown 'very close'

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - Congressional negotiators seeking to broker an end to the 40-day US government shutdown are nearing an agreement to reopen federal agencies, President Donald Trump said Sunday.

“It looks like we’re getting very close to the shutdown ending," Trump told reporters as he returned to the White House.

The upbeat assessment came as multiple reports suggested lawmakers reached a bipartisan agreement to fund the government through the end of January in exchange for a pledge from Senate Republicans to hold a vote on extending critical health care subsidies that are slated to expire Jan. 1.

It is unclear if a sufficient number of Democrats have signed on to the agreement, particularly since it meets neither of the key health care demands sought by Democrats for over a month. The party had sought to force an extension on Affordable Care Act tax credits as well as a reversal of cuts to Medicaid that were instituted under Trump's sweeping spending bill.

CNN reported that major sticking points remain, including a demand from Democrats to reinstate all federal workers Trump fired during the shutdown as he sought to ramp up pressure on Democrats to reach an agreement. Eight Democrats would need to join on to the stopgap measure for it to clear a key 60-vote hurdle.

The timing for any potential votes remains unclear. The Senate has been adjourned until 8pm ET (0100GMT Monday).