Government shutdown ends, may return by end of January 2026

43-day shutdown marks longest in history, legislators continue battle over future federal healthcare funding
 
The government is officially back open following the longest shutdown in U.S. history.
On Wednesday, Nov. 12, the shutdown came to an end after the House and Senate both passed the funding package that President Donald Trump signed into law. The shutdown lasted a record 43 days.
The shutdown began because of a dispute over a spending plan that allocates the money from the federal government. This caused a situation where both sides of the aisle could not come together to agree on a funding bill. The U.S. House of Representatives was able to pass a temporary bill, but this could not clear the Senate due to Democrat resistance. The main stipulation that could be agreed upon was a request that the bill include an extension of previously passed and expiring tax credits that help to make more affordable the cost of health insurance.
During this shutdown, every federal worker that was deemed non-essential was furloughed until the two parties could come together. This left many of the essential government workers showing up to work with no pay. One of the more notable examples of this is in aircraft controller positions. During the shutdown, aircraft controllers were still required to work, though many were calling in sick. This lack of workers caused many flights around the nation to be canceled in order to alleviate the strain on the network, according to the BBC. Members of Congress still received their salary.
Most everything has returned to the status quo now, however, with the signing of a funding bill by President Trump, ending the shutdown without the healthcare tax credits that Democrats fought for. Eight moderates would alter their stance on the issue and cross the aisle, siding with Senate Republicans to reopen the government. According to NPR, the reason the eight did not attempt to hold out longer was due to their belief that Trump and Republican senators and representatives would not budge on the bill and too many citizens were suffering.
Funding secured through January 30
The new bill will continue to keep the government funded until the end of January, though certain government programs are funded until September of 2026. Trump signed this bill on Nov. 12, officially reopening the government. Now federal workers are clocking in once more and expecting backpay thanks to a bill passed in 2019 that ensures as much for federal workers in the event of a shutdown. Trump, though, suggested that this may not be the case.
As part of the new funding bill, a provision was entered that would allow senators to sue the Justice Department if they were subjected to subpoenas or if their phone records were searched in regard to the Jan. 6 attack. Republicans in the House of Representatives promised to repeal that provision, but no such thing has yet happened, and it remains to be seen if it will.
The government is only funded through Jan. 30, so this means that a shutdown is within the realm of possibility for the near future. It is possible that Senate Democrats will again try to extend the tax credits that were previously provided for healthcare, but that is yet to be seen. The lack of negotiation thus far seems to indicate that they will expire unless a few moderate Republicans cross the aisle in order to strike a deal. If that happens, it must then get past Trump’s pen, as any bill needs to cross his desk before it can be signed into law.