The House of Representatives is expected to approve a funding package Wednesday that would end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The measure would extend funding levels for much of the federal government through Jan. 30 and bundles three appropriations bills that fully fund some programs. Among those, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which serves nearly 42 million people, would be funded through Sept. 30, 2026; SNAP had been entangled in a court fight during the shutdown.
The Senate approved the legislation late Monday after a bipartisan vote that saw seven Democrats and one Independent join most Republicans. The bill also contains a provision to reverse layoffs imposed by the Trump administration during the shutdown.
Many Democrats criticized the deal because it does not resolve the core dispute that triggered the shutdown: expiring health care subsidies. As part of the compromise, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., agreed to hold a mid-December vote on legislation Democrats will draft to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits. Some Republicans say action is necessary to prevent steep premium increases for subsidy recipients, but it is unclear whether enough GOP senators support such a bill, and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has not committed to bringing it to the House floor.
New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a moderate who helped negotiate the agreement, said the shutdown increased pressure on Republicans to find a health care solution and warned that voters would hold them accountable in next year’s midterm elections if they fail to act. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries urged House Democrats to oppose the package, calling it a partisan Republican measure that “continues to gut the health care of the American people.”
Supporters argue the shutdown’s disruptions — including staffing shortages that produced flight delays and interrupted government services — will politically damage Democrats who opposed reopening the government. President Trump, reflecting on recent GOP election losses, suggested the shutdown hurt his party as well.
With the midterm elections about a year away, it remains uncertain how much the record-long shutdown will influence voters, especially if economic concerns continue to dominate public attention.
