• A bipartisan Senate deal to end the historic government shutdown is advancing, with the House being recalled for a vote.
  • The legislative package provides stopgap funding through January 30 and full-year funding for some agencies, while ensuring backpay for federal workers.
  • The agreement postpones a decision on expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies, creating a key point of contention that will be addressed in December.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has instructed members of the U.S. House of Representatives to begin returning to Washington, signaling that Congress is moving toward ending the longest federal government shutdown in American history. The development comes after the Senate cleared a key procedural hurdle late Sunday with bipartisan support for a legislative package that would reopen shuttered agencies.

According to people familiar with the matter, the recall order went out after Senate leaders from both parties expressed confidence they had the votes to advance the measure. The House is expected to vote on the package soon after lawmakers' return, though the exact timing remains fluid as leadership works to secure final commitments.

The legislation provides stopgap funding to keep much of the government operational through January 30 while offering full fiscal-year funding for agricultural programs, military construction, and veterans' affairs through September 2026. The bill also includes provisions to reimburse states for funds used to maintain SNAP and WIC food aid programs during the shutdown and ensures backpay for furloughed federal workers, which had emerged as a point of uncertainty earlier in the standoff.

Efforts to reach a comprehensive deal hit a snag over health care funding, however. The package does not extend expiring subsidies for Affordable Care Act recipients, a major Democratic demand that has been postponed for a December vote. This omission prompted Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and several other Democrats to vote against the bill in the Senate, suggesting potential challenges in the House.

"Without a deal, the company would be forced into bankruptcy," one senior Democratic aide said, using corporate terminology to describe the government's precarious position. The aide noted that while the immediate crisis appears to be ending, the fundamental disagreements over healthcare funding remain unresolved.

The shutdown has caused extensive disruptions across federal programs and services, with states stepping in to cover some crucial programs until federal funding could resume. Veterans' groups and food aid administrators have welcomed the prospect of federal reimbursement, though many expressed frustration at the prolonged nature of the standoff.

A spokesperson for Speaker Johnson's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the specific timing of the House vote or the whip count. However, people close to the negotiations said they expect the measure to pass with support from both moderate Republicans and Democrats, despite the healthcare subsidy issue.

*Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the duration of full funding for certain agencies. The funding extends through September 2026, not 2025.