After more than 40 days of a full government shutdown, Congress is moving closer to an agreement that would reopen federal agencies and allow normal operations to resume as soon as next week.
On Sunday evening, eight Democrats voted with Republicans in support of a short-term funding bill that extends government funding through January 30, 2026. The bill keeps nearly all funding levels the same as before the shutdown, while allowing all federal employees to return to work and resume normal operations. Back pay will follow, but not immediately.
The Senate will officially vote on the bill this week, and then the House of Representatives is expected to take up the measure later this week. If the House passes it and the President signs it, the government could reopen by the end of the week.
Given the unprecedented length of this shutdown, the pause in SNAP benefits, and the unlawful termination of furloughed staff, it remains unclear how quickly federal operations will fully return to normal once the government reopens.
Eight Senate Democrats joined Republicans on a procedural vote to pass a short-term stopgap funding bill paired with a small “minibus” package. If it passes the House and is signed by the President, the government will reopen.
- Stopgap Funding Keeps all federal funding levels the same as before the shutdown, which means most agencies are still operating under Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 levels, now two years old.
- Minibus Funding Finalizes three out of twelve FY 2026 appropriations bills: Military Construction–VA, Agriculture (which includes funding for food assistance), and the Legislative Branch.
- Federal Employees Reinstated All staff who were terminated or furloughed during the shutdown are able to return to work.
- Terminating employees during the shutdown was illegal, and while this agreement restores them, it was not the only way they could have been reinstated; employees and unions also had legal recourse through an ongoing lawsuit challenging the firings.
- Health Care Vote Agreement The package includes a commitment for the Senate to hold a December vote to extend health care subsidies, though this vote is unlikely to succeed, and those subsidies are expected to end.
- Senate Senators will vote on this bill this week; it is expected to pass.
- House Members of the House will come back to DC for the first time in over 50 days to vote on the Senate stopgap and minibus.
- White House If the House approves this legislation, it will then go to the White House, where the President is expected to sign it.
- Shutdown Ends If the legislation is signed into law, the shutdown officially ends, and government employees will return to work. This could happen as soon as the end of this week.
- Funding Levels Funding for programs like the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act program will remain unchanged under this temporary measure.
- HHS, ED, and HUD Are Reopening All Federal Agencies will begin reopening offices and systems, allowing communication with program officers to resume.
- New Grants Processing Providers waiting on awards, reimbursements, or technical assistance will begin to see progress as staff return.
- Reinstated Federal Employees Federal employees who were furloughed or terminated, including Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program officers, will be reinstated.
- SNAP The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is not yet distributing benefits as the shutdown continues. At this time, there is no immediate timeline for when payments will continue.
- Federal courts have debated releasing SNAP payments for November. The latest update came Sunday night, when a federal appeals court overturned the Supreme Court’s ruling that November benefits did not have to be paid.
- Once the government reopens, SNAP funding will be reinstated.
- Back Pay Federal employees will receive retroactive pay, but timelines will vary by agency. Many staff will continue working for a period without pay even after the government reopens.
- Transportation Air travel delays and other transportation issues could continue as FAA and TSA staff return to work without immediate pay.
NN4Y will continue monitoring the situation and sharing updates on how the reopening process affects youth homelessness programs and grantees.
Learn More at Upcoming Webinar
Date Thursday, November 20, 2025
Time 1:00 – 2:00 PM Eastern (12:00 PM Central, 11:00 AM Mountain, 10:00 AM Pacific)
This webinar will provide the latest federal policy updates related to child, youth, and family homelessness. We’ll cover:
- The status and impact of the government shutdown, and/or any pending agreement to reopen the government, as well as the impact of the shutdown on Head Start, housing, and other programs.
- The status of mass firing of federal agency staff at the U.S. Department of Education, including staff responsible for the education of students experiencing homelessness and students in foster care.
- The status of the most recent Runaway and Homeless Youth Act funding competition (and any information that may be available on the 2025 HUD Continuum of Care NOFO).
- The prospects for FY2026 funding for federal programs serving children, youth, and families experiencing homelessness.
Changes to SNAP eligibility (food assistance) and strategies for ensuring that children, youth, and families can access food.
This webinar is co-hosted with SchoolHouse Connection.
