Overview
The Topline Bottom Line. With the shutdown now in the rear view, the Senate is shifting focus to another appropriations minibus next week to lock in progress before the holidays. Lawmakers have returned to Washington with a mix of urgency and relief, asking what can realistically be achieved before the January 30th funding deadline.
43 Days Later. The good news arrived late Wednesday night: after 43 days, the longest government shutdown in U.S. history is officially over. Appropriators led the way in steering the continuing resolution (CR) across the finish line, crafting the deal and attaching a three-bill minibus package to maintain momentum on FY26 at the same time.
Specifically, the legislation funds the government through January 30th; includes a minibus with the Agriculture–FDA, MilCon–VA, and Legislative Branch appropriations bills; reverses thousands of federal layoffs ordered during the shutdown; and blocks similar terminations until the end of January. It also restores full food stamp benefits to nearly 42 million low‑income Americans and allows airports to recover from weeks of delays and cancellations as air traffic controllers return to work.
Eight Senate Democrats, none of whom face re-election next year, agreed to separate the Affordable Care Act subsidy debate from the shutdown package, with Senate GOP leadership promising a vote on the issue in December. The Senate vote was 60–40, with the eight Democrats crossing party lines to support the measure and Sen. Rand Paul (R‑KY) voting against. Following the Senate's action, the House approved the measure by a vote of 222–209, largely along party lines with two Republicans opposed and six Democrats in support.
At the signing ceremony, President Trump renewed his call to end the Senate filibuster, arguing that eliminating it would help prevent future funding standoffs. While the "nuclear option" remains off the table for now, the filibuster debate is unlikely to fade as leaders continue seeking faster ways to move priorities through the Senate.
The Minibus Wheels Are Turning. The three‑bill package folded into the CR gave appropriators a head start on FY26, and they are wasting no time building on that momentum. The Senate's next move is another minibus package, expected to contain Labor–HHS, T–HUD, CJS, Defense, and Interior. Floor action is slated for next week, and the legislative vehicle will be the House‑passed Defense Appropriations bill, with the Senate's version plus the other bills added as a substitute amendment. This package, which will need to be conferenced with the House, tackles some of Congress's highest‑priority measures in a single push, anchored by significant bills like Defense and Labor–HHS. T–HUD and Interior are both packed with earmarks, adding further incentive for action.
Republicans are already floating the idea of extending funding through the end of the FY26 or the calendar year if discussions on the regular appropriations bills stall. To prevent that scenario, appropriators are pressing to lock in early wins before the end of the year, mindful that dynamics could shift quickly come January.
For context, the Senate Appropriations Committee has passed eight of the 12 appropriations bills to date, with Energy and Water, Financial Services, Homeland Security, and State-Foreign Operations still awaiting markup. In the House, all 12 bills have advanced through Committee.
Payout Provision Pushback. As the shutdown deal came together, the late inclusion of a Senate provision, added without House leaders' knowledge, threatened to derail the bill. The provision in question allows a small group of Republican senators to sue the DOJ for at least $500,000 per incident if their phone records were searched without notice. The retroactive language covers those targeted by wire taps in the January 6 investigation.
With federal workers unpaid for 43 days and many living without federal assistance during the shutdown, the optics of this were not ideal, and the backlash was bipartisan. Rep. Greg Steube (R‑FL) flipped his vote on the CR in protest, with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) stating he was "surprised, shocked, and angry" at its inclusion. Speaker Johnson has vowed to bring repeal legislation to the floor next week, though its path forward in the Senate remains unclear. Appropriators are already discussing adding language to the CJS appropriations bill which would also repeal the controversial provision.
