Eight Democrats break rank and back deal to reopen government after longest shutdown in US history.

Senators in the United States have voted to move forward with a stopgap funding package aimed at ending the longest government shutdown in the country’s history.

In a procedural vote on Sunday, eight Democrats broke rank and voted in favour of advancing the Republican measure, which will keep the government open into January 30.

The bill would also fund some parts of the government, including food aid and the legislative branch, for the next year.

But there was no guarantee of an extension of expiring healthcare subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Instead, the deal struck between the centrist Democrats and the Republicans promises a vote on the issue by December.

The subsidies have been a Democratic priority during the funding battle.

Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna, reporting from Washington, DC, said Sunday’s procedural vote passed with 60 in favour and 40 against.

“Now, this is what is called a cloture vote – a procedure by which the Senate agrees to continue the debate about the legislation and begin introducing and passing the bills aimed at ending the shutdown,” Hanna said.

“The important thing about the cloture vote is that once it is passed, at that 60 percent majority, every subsequent vote is by a simple majority. So it would appear to be plain sailing in the Senate for the Republicans to pass this bill and end this closure,” he added.

The Republicans have a simple majority in the chamber.