US Senator John Thune, a member of the Senate's Republican leadership team, has said, he is hopeful of a deal being struck soon that would bring an end to a two-day-old federal government shutdown. Speaking on the Senate floor, Thune said he is hopeful that the government will have the 60 votes that are necessary to advance a new stopgap funding bill to fund the government for three weeks. He said the measure was modified at the request of some of the Democrats of the Senate, indicating it could be a compromise proposal. He did not provide details.