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The federal government funding battle is far from resolved even after the shutdown ended.
Congress restored government funding temporarily, but the next crisis arrives on January 30.
Government has reopened — but what’s next?
The government shutdown that began on October 1 lasted 43 days, making it the longest in U.S. history. The shutdown formally ended when President Donald Trump signed a bipartisan government funding bill on November 12.
Most agencies reopened immediately. Federal workers returned. Programs restarted. But the relief is short-lived.
The bill funds major parts of the government only through January 30, 2026, which means Congress has just weeks before hitting another funding cliff due to unresolved government funding issues.
The deal avoids immediate damage, but it doesn’t resolve the underlying breakdown of the appropriations process.
What the shutdown deal actually accomplished
The latest government funding deal did a few important things:
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Reopened the government and ended furloughs
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Provided full-year funding for some departments (Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Legislative Branch)
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Restored pay for roughly 750,000 federal workers
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Restarted delayed federal programs across the country
But the deal also left major issues unresolved. Democrats’ request for extended Affordable Care Act subsidy protections was not included.
This means the shutdown ended, but the debate that caused it remains fully intact about how to approach government funding.
Congress keeps kicking the government funding can down the road
The root of the problem is Congress’s dependence on temporary fixes known as continuing resolutions (CRs).
Instead of passing the 12 annual government funding bills on time, lawmakers rely on short-term patches that extend last year’s spending levels. This creates a cycle of:
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Funding deadlines
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Shutdown threats
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Eleventh-hour deals
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Temporary reopenings
As one analysis put it, “Ending the shutdown won’t solve Congress’s funding crisis.”
Agencies and states can’t plan budgets effectively. Federal workers face recurring instability. Contractors and local governments experience delays that ripple through the economy.
The aftermath: What Americans are still feeling
Even with the government funding restored, the impact of the shutdown lingers.
Federal services are still catching up on backlogs.
Some programs—especially social services and housing programs—will take months to recover.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated the 43-day shutdown caused over $11 billion in permanent economic damage.
For states like Ohio, that means delays in federal reimbursements, slower processing of grants, and uncertainty for families relying on federal support caused by gaps in government funding.
Political fault lines remain unchanged
The same divisions that caused the shutdown remain active:
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House Republicans want a “clean” CR—no new spending, no add-ons.
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Senate Democrats want broader protections, including health-care subsidies and program expansions.
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The White House wants full appropriations at levels included in its proposed budget.
None of these positions shifted meaningfully during the shutdown. That makes the January 30 deadline extremely fragile.
What happens next?
Congress has a few options:
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Pass another short-term CR — which simply delays another crisis.
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Pass full appropriations — unlikely with the current gridlock.
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Allow a partial or full shutdown — which would restart the same economic and political pain.
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Negotiate a larger bipartisan package — difficult, but possible if both sides see political upside.
With the next deadline approaching, Washington is again moving toward a period of brinkmanship rather than long-term stability.
The bottom line for government funding
The shutdown ended, but the federal government funding crisis is very much alive.
Congress reopened agencies, paid workers, and restarted programs, but only temporarily.
The next deadline in January means the country may face another shutdown threat if lawmakers fail to pass real funding.
Americans — including families, workers and communities in Cincinnati — should expect more turbulence unless Congress finally breaks the cycle of stop-gap governance.
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