The US Senate took a major step toward re-opening the government after a group of moderate Democrats broke with their party leaders and voted to support a deal to end the record-breaking shutdown.The Senate voted 60-40 on a procedural measure to advance the bill Sunday evening.

A bloc of Democrats helped Republicans advance the spending measure but more steps remain before federal operations can resume.

Meanwhile, the Senate could vote Sunday night on a test vote that would fund the government through Jan. 31 and end the 40-day government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history. Enough Democrats are expected to vote to pass the bill,

The Senate by a 60-40 vote advances a proposal to end the federal shutdown after some moderate Democrats agreed to proceed without healthcare subsidy guarantees.

The Senate voted 60-40 on Sunday on a key step toward reopening the government. The vote came after a critical group of eight Senate Democratic centrists reached a deal with Senate GOP leaders and the White House to reopen the government in exchange for a future vote on extending enhanced Affordable Care subsidies.

On Sunday, the U.S. Senate voted for the 15th time on an appropriations bill that would bring the government one step closer to ending the longest federal shutdown in the nation's history. The measure passed in a 60 to 40 vote Sunday night as eight Democrats joined Republicans to approve the bill.

The Senate was voting Sunday night on whether to move forward on compromise legislation that would end the 40-day government shutdown after a group of moderate Democrats agreed to proceed without a guaranteed extension of health care subsidies — angering many in their caucus who wanted to continue the fight.

A critical bloc of eight Senate Democratic centrists on Sunday helped advance a funding deal to reopen the government in exchange for a future vote on extending enhanced Affordable Care subsidies, putting Congress on a path to end the longest shutdown in US history within days.