H.R. 5371, enacted November 12, 2025, ended the 43-day partial government shutdown by extending FY2025 funding levels for most federal agencies through January 30, 2026. It provided full-year FY2026 appropriations for three bills (Agriculture/FDA, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction/VA) and included back pay for affected federal employees, reversal of shutdown-related staff reductions, and resumption of blocked services such as SNAP payments.
Major Democratic Requests Not Included in the Final Bill
- Extension or renewal of enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits set to expire December 31, 2025
- Reversal of Medicaid funding reductions enacted earlier in 2025
- Restoration of SNAP benefit levels reduced earlier in 2025
- New or expanded funding for social programs, disaster relief, Head Start and unemployment support
- Permanent prohibitions on federal workforce reductions beyond January 30, 2026
These items were excluded in line with the Republican-led Congress’s stated goal of eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse in federal entitlement and assistance programs, while keeping the continuing resolution narrowly focused on reopening government operations. The omitted provisions were deferred for separate legislative consideration.
We will be “Eyes On” as these omitted provisions come up again in 2026.