The government shutdown has ended, here’s what you need to know (including SNAP updates)

Earlier this week, the Senate reached a deal to reopen the federal government. Seven Democrats and one Independent voted with all but one Republican. House members, after being away for over seven weeks, came back to the Hill this week to vote on the Senate-passed bill. Six House Democrats joined all but two House Republicans to get this to the finish line.  President Trump signed, the shutdown ended, and the federal government is now reopened. This ended the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. 

The deal passed by Congress funds most of the government only through January 30, 2026  

This legislation will keep most government programs running only through the end of next January 2026. However, there are three areas where programs got full Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) funding. These three full-year appropriations bills are called a “minibus.” This minibus provides funding for military construction and the Department of Veteran Affairs. It will also fund the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). That includes restoring funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Special Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and other child nutrition programs under the USDA. Lastly, there is funding for congressional operations. These three areas will be funded until September 30, 2026, which is the end of FY26. 

A continuing resolution (CR) will cover the rest of the government’s expenses through January 30. Congress will have until then to pass the remaining appropriations bills for FY26. 

The bill also reverses layoffs and furloughs of federal government employees during the shutdown. Those impacted by the shutdown will receive back pay. No further layoffs are allowed before January 30.  

This funding deal does not have guardrails for the Trump Administration. It also doesn’t protect health care tax credits 

Many think of this shutdown as a disagreement about Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits. This deal will have the Senate vote in December on ACA tax credits set to expire at the end of 2025. Unfortunately, merely scheduling a vote does not protect the ACA tax credits. Those tax credits help subsidize health care premiums for tens of millions. If Congress votes to end them in December, health insurance costs will skyrocket. 

The bill also leaves out other accountability measures. There are no guardrails to make the Trump Administration spend funds as directed by Congress. The administration may continue refusing to spend funds. This could apply to both U.S. and global poverty programs.  

Harmful cuts from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act continue to go into effect. These include cuts to SNAP and Medicaid. Some of these cuts even took effect during the shutdown. 

After a horrendous crisis, SNAP should now continue as expected through FY26 

SNAP took center stage during the peak of the shutdown. In November, the Trump Administration withheld SNAP benefits for a while. They claimed that SNAP funds were depleted. But, there is a reserve fund for SNAP benefits. The administration simply refused to tap into it. Advocates turned to Congress to urge the administration to release reserve funds, just as it did for WIC.  

Advocates also sued the administration over blocked SNAP benefits. That lawsuit has not yet fully resolved. Several times, lower courts ruled that the administration must release SNAP funds. The administration refused to make SNAP payments in full and continued to appeal. However, with the government now reopening, it is unlikely that courts will issue a final ruling. Now that the shutdown ended, SNAP recipients should receive their full payment for December. Some people already received their benefits for November. Some did not. The timeline to distribute the payments is still unclear.  

Our advocacy must continue. Speak up for housing and global health and education in FY26 

Funding for many anti-poverty programs like SNAP, WIC, and housing should now be restored. It will take some time to get them back up and running after a very long shutdown. Nevertheless, our advocacy continues. We need to remain vigilant on additional threats to anti-poverty programs. This includes tracking restored funding. We must ensure existing programs serve those who need them.  

SNAP and WIC are funded through next September. But full-year FY26 funding for other priorities is not set. Housing choice vouchers (Section 8), global health, and global education programs don’t have permanent funding for FY26. Until January, you can still urge your members of Congress to meet the current need and fund them at the highest possible levels.