Federal Government Reopens
President Trump signed a spending bill late last night that reopened the government, ending a record 43-day-long shutdown (The Wall Street Journal, subscription).
The vote: The measure passed 222 to 209, with a few Democrats joining the Republicans to vote in favor two days after the bill passed in the Senate.
What’s in it: “The package extends funding for the federal government through Jan. 30 and includes full-year funding for the Agriculture Department, military construction and the legislative branch.”
- “The bill also includes language guaranteeing the reversal of federal layoffs . . . as well as a moratorium on future cuts.”
- Federal government workers, including many who have been working without compensation throughout the shutdown, will receive back pay.
What’s next: It is hard to say how quickly federal government agencies and programs will recover from the shutdown (The Wall Street Journal, subscription).
- Federal employees were told to return to work today, though they will be faced with a huge backlog of work.
- It is unclear when SNAP funding will return to states, as that depends on how quickly the administration makes the aid available as well as how quickly states can disperse it.
- Meanwhile, “Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the Federal Aviation Administration … on Wednesday issued an emergency order to freeze flight reductions, keeping the 6 percent reduction in place” (The Hill).
The NAM says: “Manufacturers thank President Trump, Speaker Johnson and [Senate Majority] Leader John Thune for taking action to end the shutdown. A functioning government keeps manufacturing strong, our economy growing and America competitive on the global stage,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons following the signing.