WASHINGTON - The House of Representatives took a procedural step toward ending the longest government shutdown in US history on Nov 12, advancing a stopgap funding package to restart disrupted food assistance, pay hundreds of thousands of federal workers and revive a hobbled air-traffic control system.

The Republican-controlled chamber voted 213-209 to move towards a final vote on the measure, with US President Donald Trump’s support largely keeping his party together in the face of vehement opposition from House Democrats, who are angry that a long stand-off launched by their Senate colleagues failed to secure a deal to extend federal health insurance subsidies.