WASHINGTON — After weeks of political gridlock and a government brought to its knees, the U.S. Senate has finally passed a deal to reopen federal agencies, halting the longest shutdown in American history.
In a 60–40 vote, the Senate cleared a funding bill that restores operations for shuttered departments and delays President Donald Trump’s federal downsizing plans until January 30. The agreement—fragile and fiercely contested—now heads to the House of Representatives, where Speaker Mike Johnson is expected to push for quick approval before sending it to the president’s desk.
Trump, in his signature style, hailed the deal as “very good,” even as critics warned it merely postpones the next fiscal crisis. The bill funds the government through late January and keeps the U.S. debt climbing by roughly $1.8 trillion a year—an uncomfortable reminder that this is a temporary truce, not a solution.
While the compromise ends weeks of chaos—delayed paychecks, disrupted food aid, and mounting air-travel headaches—it leaves one major Democratic demand unfulfilled: a guarantee for health insurance subsidies serving 24 million Americans. Instead, the measure promises only a December vote on whether those subsidies will survive.
“We wish we could do more,” admitted Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, expressing the frustration of Democrats who see the shutdown’s end as a hollow victory. “The shutdown seemed like an opportunity to lead us to better policy. It didn’t work.”
The political fallout has been bruising. A recent poll showed half of Americans placing the blame squarely on Republicans, with 43% faulting Democrats. The market, however, offered a sigh of relief—U.S. stocks rose on news that Washington was finally moving.
Yet the deal does little to rein in Trump’s unilateral cost-cutting crusade. Over recent months, he has slashed federal payrolls and canceled spending without congressional approval, unsettling lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. The current agreement lacks clear guardrails to stop him from doing it again.
Still, there’s one assurance: the SNAP food-assistance program—lifeline for millions—will be funded through next September, ensuring that another shutdown won’t immediately threaten food benefits.
For now, Washington exhales. But beneath the Capitol dome, the glow of the reopened government carries a shadow—another shutdown could be waiting just over the horizon.
