On Nov. 12, President Trump signed a funding bill that ended the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. After 43 days, or six weeks, of negotiations between Democrats and Republicans, a compromise has finally been reached.
The shutdown began with demands from Democrats to extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies; however, these subsidies weren’t addressed in the funding bill. These subsidies are critical to helping Americans afford healthcare, with prices expected to rise 114% if they aren’t addressed soon.
Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives have expressed frustration with Democratic leaders in the Senate for this compromise. The funding bill that was passed only extends government funding until Jan. 30, and this issue is likely to be something that may come up again.
The first step for this funding bill came the night of Nov. 10, when six Democratic Senators voted alongside Republican Senators on the funding bill that would eventually reopen the government. Instead of getting the ACA subsidies addressed in this funding bill, Republican Senators promised a vote on the subsidies by mid-December.
An important note on the ACA subsidies is that although Democrats have been guaranteed a vote, it likely won’t pass, with many Senate Republicans opposing the ACA in general, especially the subsidies.
In addition to the extension of government funding until Jan. 30, the Senate deal that ended the shutdown included: the promise of a vote on ACA subsidies, three appropriations bills, the reversal of the layoffs that occurred during the shutdown, limits on future shutdown cuts, and back pay for federal workers.
The funding bill passed with 60-40 votes in the Senate and 222-209 in the House of Representatives.
During the time of the shutdown, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson refused to call lawmakers in the House of Representatives into session. This decision sparked controversy from other lawmakers, with some Democratic Representatives calling it a “seven-week paid vacation.”
Speaker Johnson made the argument that the House had completed its job by passing the funding bill, and that’s why he wouldn’t call the House into session. With over a dozen failures to pass this bill in the Senate, Speaker Johnson continued refusing to call the House into session to open possibilities for compromise.
He didn’t bring the House into session to discuss the possibilities of compromise; instead, he used the lack of House sessions as a tool of political leverage. He claimed that it was in the hands of the Senate to address this issue.
In addition to not calling lawmakers into session, Representative Johson refused to swear in Representative Adelita Grijalva of Arizona until the shutdown ended. She was eventually sworn in on Nov. 12.
In a recent speech of hers, Representative Grijalva called the decision not to swear her in an “abuse of power.”
Another shutdown looms on the horizon after Jan. 30 if more compromises aren’t reached by government representatives. This shutdown wasn’t a victory for either side. For six weeks, citizens across the country felt the heat of the shutdown, and the demands beneath the shutdown didn’t end up being addressed.
The shutdown has left the Democratic base frustrated with the leadership of the party. There has been brewing frustration since the 2024 elections, and the problems noted continue to not be addressed by party leadership.
While government shutdowns haven’t been historically effective negotiation tactics, the Democratic base has made demands to see the party use leverage where it arises. This shutdown has left people disappointed in the party and the results, making it look like a waste after all.
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