Congress Reaches Deal to End Shutdown and Fund Government Through January 2026

Today, the House of Representatives passed a bill that keeps the government open until January 30, and funds multiple agencies and programs for the full fiscal year, and all others until January 30, 2026. The final vote was 222 to 209.

This follows the Senate vote (60-40) on Monday, where eight Democrats defected from their party to join Republican senators in advancing a deal to reopen the federal government. The procedural vote to overcome the filibuster paves the way for a legislative end to the shutdown.

In exchange for reopening the government, the explicit plan agreed to now includes three “minibus” appropriations bills to fund the military, agriculture (which includes SNAP), and legislative operations, plus a continuing resolution for other funding through January. Senate Majority Leader Thune promised Democrats a vote on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies in December.

The deal reverses the Trump administration’s reductions in force (RIFs) of thousands of federal workers. Roughly 4,000 bureaucrats who were laid off during the shutdown under the direction of OMB Director Russ Vought will be reinstated with full back pay. It also bans further RIFs through the CR that expires at the end of January.

The deal also provides the Senate and House Appropriations committees time to discuss and finalize the FY 2026 THUD budget. The preferred outcome for housing would be that the Senate’s THUD numbers are adopted with full funding for HOME.

We hope to hear soon about a markup for the Flood-Cleaver Home Reform Bill, with a subcommittee hearing anticipated now that the House is back in session.

We will keep you updated on all developments as they occur and wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!