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The end of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history exposed partisan divides in Washington and left Democrats hoping, again, that Republicans will keep their word of addressing expiring healthcare subsidies in the coming months, political science experts said.
President Donald Trump signed a government funding bill Wednesday night, ending a record 43-day shutdown that caused financial stress for federal workers who went without paychecks, stranded scores of travelers at airports, and generated long lines at some food banks as Trump officials cut off SNAP benefits.
The House passed the measure on a mostly party-line vote of 222-209 on Wednesday afternoon, while the Senate had already passed the measure on Monday.
U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Highland, said in a statement he voted against the continuing resolution because while the bill will ensure that emergency food assistance will be funded, “it is wrong to do so at the expense of affordable health care benefits.”
“I have spent my career as a public official working on behalf of individuals and families facing economic hardship, often through no fault of their own, who have been in need of access to food, housing, and health care. Too many times have I witnessed the difficult choice that families often make between choosing between a meal or health care services,” Mrvan said.
“I remain deeply disappointed that the Republican Majority refused to extend the health care tax credits as part of this negotiation that so many small business owners and working families rely on, even as they allow the Trump Administration to direct $40 billion in federal funds to support Argentina’s economy,” Mrvan said.
Mrvan said he also didn’t support the continuing resolution because it doesn’t fund the Toxic Exposures Fund, which supports veterans.
“As we move forward, the fight for access to affordable health care continues, and I remain committed to working with my colleagues to find a bipartisan agreement that restores the health care tax credits as soon as possible,” Mrvan said.
Senator Todd Young said in a statement that he voted in favor of the continuing resolution because it will reopen the government through Jan. 30, 2026 and include full-year appropriations for military construction, veterans affairs, agriculture and the legislative branch.
Young noted that he voted 15 times to reopen the government, but Democrats voted 14 times to against the effort.
“I am frustrated that the shutdown dragged on as long as it did and negatively affected our country in so many ways. I am grateful for all the dedicated federal workers, such as our service members and air traffic controllers, who continued to work throughout the shutdown,” Young said.
Senator Jim Banks blamed the Democrats for “holding American hostage” by continuing the shutdown.
The shutdown magnified partisan divisions in Washington as Trump took unprecedented unilateral actions — including canceling projects and trying to fire federal workers — to pressure Democrats into relenting on their demands.
Democrats wanted to extend an enhanced tax credit expiring at the end of the year that lowers the cost of health coverage obtained through Affordable Care Act marketplaces. They refused to go along with a short-term spending bill that did not include that priority. But Republicans said that was a separate fight to be held at another time.
The compromise funds three annual spending bills and extends the rest of government funding through Jan. 30. Republicans promised to hold a vote by mid-December to extend the health care subsidies, but there is no guarantee of success.
The bill includes a reversal of the Trump administration policy of firing of federal workers since the shutdown began. It also protects federal workers against further layoffs through January and guarantees they are paid once the shutdown is over.
A bill for the Agriculture Department, which funds the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, means people who rely on key food assistance programs will see those benefits funded without threat of interruption through the rest of the budget year.
Food Bank of Northwest Indiana CEO Victor Garcia said the organization is pleased the government shutdown has ended, but it’s unclear how soon SNAP benefits will be distributed.
“There is still some uncertainty in how and when SNAP benefits will be distributed to our neighbors in Northwest Indiana. The Food Bank will continue to provide additional nutrition support as we navigate the fallout of the shutdown together,” Garcia said.
It’s unclear whether the parties will find any common ground on health care before a potential December vote in the Senate. House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he will not commit to bringing it up in his chamber. Without the enhanced tax credit, premiums on average will more than double for millions of Americans.
Some Republicans have said they are open to extending the COVID-19 pandemic-era tax credits, but they also want new limits on who can receive the subsidies.
Aaron Dusso, associate professor of political science at Indiana University Indianapolis, said he was surprised the shutdown ended when it did, but he thought it was likely because of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.
Eight Democratic Senators voted to end the shutdown with the promise from Republican Senate leadership of holding a vote on healthcare subsidies in December, Dusso said. But, earlier this year, a shutdown was avoided when Republicans told Democrats that they would discuss healthcare subsidies outside of the Trump administration’s tax bill, and that never happened, he said.
“The classic cartoon is Lucy holding that football and Charlie Brown believing he’s going to finally be able to kick that football. We’ll see if that actually happens,” Dusso said.
With the government reopening, funding for programs like SNAP should move fairly quickly because the apparatus for funding is already there, Dusso said. But departments that rely on people, like air traffic controllers, could take a little longer to start back up as people return to work, he said.
It’s likely that the government shutdown won’t be top of mind for voters in 2026 as many more things will occur at the federal level between now and then, Dusso said.
“I don’t think there’s going to be much, as far as outside of Washington, much memory of it. Inside Washington, some of the memories are going to come down to internal to the Democratic Party. There will certainly be hurt feelings and distrust,” Dusso said.
The Associated Press contributed.
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Alexandra Kukulka
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