US Government Shutdown Ends After Senate Approval of Funding Deal

The United States' longest government shutdown in history has finally come to an end, with the Senate successfully passing a funding deal that will restore order across the country.

Originally, Democrats and Republicans remained at an impasse, with both parties on extreme sides of the political spectrum. However, a group of eight centrist Democrats agreed to side with Republicans in yesterday's referendum, in exchange for a future vote on Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, which Trump has been working to remove.

These ACA subsidies remain at the center of the battle between Democrats and Republicans, and they are crucial to over 22 million people. The Affordable Care Act, signed into law by former President Barack Obama in 2010, expands the availability of health insurance and Medicare across the country. The act makes health insurance more affordable by offering the aforementioned subsidies to citizens whose incomes are within 400% of the poverty line; expands Medicare eligibility in certain states; prevents insurers from denying coverage for someone because of a pre-existing condition; and allows young adults to stay on their parents' health insurance plan until the age of 26.

Trump has long been against the ACA– he attempted to completely repeal the bill in 2017 during his first term, but was unsuccessful. Trump also tried to challenge the act in court, but the Supreme Court ruled the ACA as constitutional. While he has taken various other actions, the most pressing issue in the Capitol in 2025 is the expiration of the ACA's premium tax credits at the end of the year. Without renewal, this will halt the delivery of healthcare insurance subsidies for over 22 million people that depend on the program.

Now, several Democrats, in exchange for ending the government shutdown, have been guaranteed a vote on extending those tax credits. However, Republicans did not agree to renew them– they simply confirmed that they would hold a vote. If Democrats are able to pass such a bill once the vote takes place in around a month, it would be an incredible win for the left side of the political spectrum amid an administration that has maintained a strongly right-wing stance on domestic and global politics and economic policies.

Additionally, the Democratic party as a whole was outraged by the decision of those eight centrist senators, but the bill will be finalized today before being sent to President Trump for approval. Nevertheless, the bill only guarantees funding until January, as the crucial laws required to extend funding for a new fiscal year have not been passed yet. This means that the government could face another shutdown in early 2026, but that is yet to be seen.

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Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): A company is only as good as the people it keeps. (Mary Kay Ash)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Improvident (adj, im-PRAH-vuh-dunt) - Improvident is a formal word used to describe something that does not foresee or provide for the future, especially with regard to money. An improvident relationship, habit, or practice is financially unwise or impractical.

In a Sentence: The directors were blasted at the committee hearing for their improvident use of public money.

Image credit to Architect of the Capitol