A Clear Guide to the GovernmEnt Shutdown Deal 2025

Passed November 13, 2025 | H.R. 5371 | Signed by President Trump | Article by Audrey Herrera

Topic:

A clear explanation of what H.R. 5371 contains, how it reopened the government after the shutdown, and what its rules mean for federal workers and the public.

Highlights

• The shutdown ended because Congress passed H.R. 5371, the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026.
  H.R. 5371 says the government is funded at last year’s levels through January 30, 2026, which is why the government was able to reopen.
  

• H.R. 5371 includes three full-year appropriations bills, meaning three parts of the government now have full budgets instead of temporary ones. These are:

  
  • Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration

  
  • Military Construction and Veterans Affairs

  
  • The Legislative Branch
  

• H.R. 5371 cancels reduction-in-force notices sent after October 1. The bill states that all RIF notices issued between October 1 and the date of enactment are reversed and that no new notices can be issued before January 30.
  

• H.R. 5371 orders that all furloughed federal workers receive full back pay for the shutdown period.
  

• H.R. 5371 extends several healthcare programs for a short period, including community health center funding and Medicare telehealth rules.
  

• H.R. 5371 does not extend the Affordable Care Act premium tax credits. The bill requires a separate vote in December instead of resolving it in the main text.
  
  

Why it matters

• The shutdown began on October 1 and became the longest in U.S. history. H.R. 5371 brings all agencies back to work by giving them enough temporary funding to function.
  

• H.R. 5371 only lasts until January 30. This means Congress will return to the same fight early next year unless a longer-term deal is reached.
  

• By reversing RIF notices inside the bill text, H.R. 5371 protects federal employees from layoffs for the next several months.
  

• Because H.R. 5371 only contains three full-year bills, Congress still has most of the government left to fund for the rest of the fiscal year.
  
  

Who’s Most Affected?

• Federal workers: H.R. 5371 guarantees back pay and stops layoffs before January 30.
  

• People using SNAP or USDA programs: H.R. 5371 fully funds the Agriculture bill, so states can restart normal food assistance operations.
  

• ACA marketplace customers: H.R. 5371 leaves the enhanced subsidies unresolved. A separate vote will decide whether monthly premiums stay lower.
  

• State and local governments: H.R. 5371 unlocks federal reimbursements again, though some payments may be slow due to the shutdown backlog.
  
  

What’s next

• Congress has until January 30 to finish the rest of the government’s full-year budgets.
  

• A December vote will determine the future of ACA premium tax credits.
  

• Expect more arguments about program levels, cuts, and policy add-ons as lawmakers move toward the next funding deadline.

LEARN MORE:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5371/text