Accountancy Slice

North America

The House of Representatives and President Donald Trump have ended a record 43-day government shutdown by approving a spending bill that funds the government through January 30th, restores federal layoffs, and sends furloughed employees back to work, while postponing the central dispute over extending enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies. The bill passed the House 222–209 after earlier Senate approval, with a handful of Democrats joining Republicans and two GOP members voting no. Democrats, who had pushed to include subsidy extensions in the deal, vowed to continue that fight after reopening the government, while Republican leaders argued negotiations could only occur once operations resumed. The package also drew bipartisan criticism for a provision enabling senators to seek large damages if investigators obtain their phone records. The shutdown caused significant disruption - from delayed flights to halted economic data - and although its overall economic damage was modest, analysts noted that its costs and operational strain on federal workers and services were steadily growing. Tens of thousands of IRS employees are returning to work after a record-long government shutdown, but they face significant challenges. The shutdown ended with a House vote of 222-209, following Senate approval. With nearly half of IRS workers furloughed, the agency must quickly prepare for the upcoming tax-filing season under the new GOP tax law. As one source noted, "there are likely to be delays" in processing due to the backlog.