President Donald J. Trump late Wednesday signed into law a funding bill to end the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history. The measure, which will fund government operations through the end of January, was passed by the House of Representatives earlier Wednesday night in a 222-209 vote. Just two Republicans in the House voted against the bill: Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Florida’s Greg Steube. All but six Democrats voted against the bill: Adam Gray of California; Maine’s Jared Golden; Tom Suozzi of New York; Washington’s Marie Gluesenkamp Perez; Don Davis of North Carolina; and Henry Cuellar of Texas.
The bipartisan deal to end the funding lapse includes a long-term agreement on just three of the dozen bills lawmakers need to finish each year to keep cash flowing to federal programs. And those three measures are some of the easiest to rally around — including money for veterans programs, food aid, assistance for farmers and the operations of Congress itself. Together, they represent less than 10 percent of the roughly $1.8 trillion Congress doles out each year to federal agencies. Under the deal, everything else is funded on a temporary basis through January 30th at levels first set by Congress in March 2024, when Joe Biden was president. That leaves behind major open decisions about the vast majority of discretionary dollars — including for the military and public health programs — along with the stickiest policy issues. It doesn’t help that House and Senate leaders still haven’t agreed on an overall total for fiscal 2026 spending, amid GOP divisions over how deeply to cut. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) acknowledged that the hardest part of the funding negotiations is ahead after President Donald Trump signed the current deal to end the shutdown.
The House is scheduled to return on Monday. The Senate will reconvene at 3:00 P.M. on Tuesday, November 18th and take up a Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #515 Ho Nieh, to be a Member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
