Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
What’s in the Government Reopening Deal?
References & Edit History
Images
Plan to reopen the government
Britannica AI Icon

Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
print Print
Please select which sections you would like to print:
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Plan to reopen the government
Plan to reopen the government

What’s in the Government Reopening Deal?

With the longest government shotdown over, what’s next for SNAP recipients, government workers, and health care credits?
Written by
Tracy Grant
Tracy Grant is a senior editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. She previously served as editor in chief, the first woman to hold that title. 
Tracy Grant
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

The longest government shutdown in U.S. history ended on November 12, 2025. Here’s what you need to know:

When will the government reopen?

Federal workers began reporting for work on November 13, after a series of votes that ended the 43-day stalemate. On November 9, eight Senate Democrats joined Republicans to allow a vote to reopen, clearing a key hurdle. The next day the Senate took another vote to open the government. Then on November 12, the House of Representatives – which was in session for the first time in 54 days – passed the bill to reopen the government, sending it to Pres. Donald Trump for his signature, which came just hours later.

What did the bill do?

• It will reopen and fund the government through January 30, 2026. (Yes, that means we could be going through all this again early next year.)

• It guarantees a vote on health care tax credits in the Affordable Care Act in the Senate. Those credits expire at the end of the year, and Americans are already seeing significant increases in their premiums. The end of the credits was a key reason the shutdown occurred, and even some Republicans—notably Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Sen. Josh Hawley—have said that the premium increases were hurting their constituents. However, even if there is a Senate vote, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has not guaranteed a vote in his chamber.

• It guarantees funding of some government entities through September 2026, specifically:

• Government employees laid off at the start of the shutdown would get their jobs back.

• Government employees would be given full back pay for the duration of the shutdown, with the first payments being issued by Saturday.

Explore Britannica Premium!

The trusted destination for professionals, college students, and lifelong learners.

SUBSCRIBE
Penguin, ship, mountain, atlas
shohei ohtani, plants, andy wharhol art
Mobile
Tracy Grant