The Republican-controlled House signed a bill on Nov. 12 to refund the government, officially ending the 43-day funding impasse. However, as the holiday season nears, many Americans with connections to the federal government face financial and personal uncertainty in the aftermath of the longest shutdown in American history.
The bill was a result of a rift in the Democratic party that occurred when eight senators in the Democrats’ political caucus split from their party to vote for the bill when it was first proposed on Nov. 9. Although it provoked a controversy within the party, the 60-40 vote made way for the bill to pass through the House on Wednesday, which was then signed by President Trump. Georgia Democrat senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock voted no to the bill because it did not provide healthcare subsidies that are set to expire by the end of the year.
“‘I voted ‘NO’ on tonight’s proposal because it doesn’t provide relief to the 1.2 million Georgians who are about to see their health care premiums double and more. People cannot afford that,’” Warnock said on Nov. 9, according to CBS.
Meanwhile, Republican critics of Ossoff such as Derek Dooley and Mike Collins reflect the Republican party’s sentiment that blames the Democrats for prolonging the shutdown. Dooley argued that Ossoff’s vote was “prioritizing Chuck Schumer and his party bosses over the hardworking people of Georgia.”
The bill that passed on Nov. 12 extends funding for most federal agencies until Jan. 30. According to BBC, the bill also “guarantees that all federal workers will receive back-pay, and reverses the shutdown-related layoffs of thousands of federal workers.”
Restoring funding, however, does not mean that all Americans who worked for or relied on the federal government will immediately recover from the impact. Although federal workers are returning to work, many of these will not immediately receive financial compensation, or back-pay. Many will also face several backlogs that have accumulated during their absence.
“It is a shame that something as simple as a disagreement over healthcare subsidies can lead to a national catastrophe,” senior River Thomas said.
Furthermore, President Trump, who has conducted several layoffs to carry out his agenda during the shutdown, has threatened not to provide everyone with back-pay. However, after the 2018-2019 shutdown, Congress passed a law mandating that federal workers receive back-pay “at the earliest date possible after the lapse in appropriations ends, regardless of scheduled pay dates.”
Nonetheless, although their reopening may be gradual, SNAP benefits are returning for several Americans, museums are scheduled to reopen soon and flight cancellations are gradually decreasing.
The trade association for major US airlines said that “It could take up for a week for air travel to return to pre-shutdown capacity,” according to BBC.
