Longest Shutdown in U.S. History Finally Ends

By Gordon HopkinsWednesday night, President Donald Trump signed the government funding package that allowed the federal government to reopen after 43 days, the longest shutdown in the history of the U.S. The signing came just hours after the House voted to approve the package, which was approved by the Senate on Monday.While the government is now officially open, it will take some time for things to return to normal. Federal workers furloughed since the beginning of the shutdown will be returning to significant backlogs, such as at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which may result in tax refunds being delayed.It will also take time for government funding to states and government assistance programs to be restored. What is in the New Funding Package?The legislation funds most of the government until January 30, 2026.The package also included bills that fund for an entire year for some agencies, including the Agriculture Department, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USDA) and Department of Veterans Affairs.Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits were paused on Wednesday, October 29, due to the shutdown. The new legislation funds SNAP through September 2026. What is Not in the New Funding Package?The issue that is keeping Democrats from voting for a continuing resolution to fund the government is healthcare. Democrats want to see an extension of the ACA (Affordable Care Act tax credits), which are set to expire on December 31 of this year. If that happens, people insured through ACA could see their premiums increase dramatically.Republicans opposed making extending those credits a part of the funding package. In a press conference earlier this month, Senator Pete Ricketts of Nebraska said, “So, once the Democrats reopen government, then we can have the negotiations on whatever they wish to discuss. If they want to discuss these Obamacare pandemic bonuses, that’s a discussion we could have after the reopened government.”The new funding package does not extend those credits.In a press conference on October 31, Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska said he believed a compromise was possible, “Most Republicans, I’m not saying all, but most Republicans want to compromise here. We don’t want to see premiums rise either, but we’re not going to just do an endless extension of these COVID era tax credits.” What About the Filibuster?While signing the legislation, President Trump took the opportunity to once again urge lawmakers to eliminate the filibuster, the rule that requires at least 60 votes in the Senate before a bill can pass, “Terminate the filibuster.”Not all Republicans are keen to eliminate the filibuster.“I certainly understand his frustration with the Democrats,” said Senator Ricketts. “The filibuster is important to protecting the minority. If we were to end the filibuster, the Democrats would take advantage of that next time they're in power to be able, for example, to pass DC and Puerto Rico statehood, thus ensuring that the Democrats would remain in a majority in the Senate for the foreseeable future. They would use it to take over the federal takeover of voting laws. So, for example, Nebraska's voter ID law would be out the window, because the Democrats would pass a law to take over voting laws at the federal level, and they would abolish that. The Democrats would pack the Supreme Court, and that would undo the work that Republicans and Democrats have done to protect the Supreme Court over these many decades. So, the Democrats would use the end of the filibuster to push forward their policies that would actually fundamentally change the way America runs.” See SHUTDOWN, page 2

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