What we're covering
• JUST IN: The House has approved a bill to end longest government shutdown in US history. President Donald Trump must now sign the funding package to officially reopen the government. It will take time for things to get back to normal.
• Shutdown impacts: Over 900 flights in the US were canceled today, but fewer air traffic control staffing problems are being reported. And SNAP recipients are still in limbo after the Supreme Court said it will keep full payments on hold.
• Swearing-in of Grijalva: Meanwhile, Democrat Adelita Grijalva was finally sworn into the House after 50 days of waiting. Her swearing in further shrinks the GOP’s majority and paves the way for a highly anticipated vote to compel the release of the Jeffrey Epstein case files. A House committee released thousands more Epstein documents today.
Meanwhile at the White House, Trump hosting financial industry leaders for a private dinner
President Donald Trump is hosting financial industry leaders for a private dinner at the White House Wednesday night, according to a White House official.
Among the CEOs invited to the president’s dinner are JP Morgan Chase’s Jamie Dimon, Goldman Sachs David Solomon, Morgan Stanley’s Ted Pick, SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son, Nasdaq’s Adena Friedman and Apollo Global Management’s Marc Rowan, two sources familiar told CNN.
CNN’s Phil Mattingly contributed to this report.
Congress sends funding package to reopen the government to Trump for his signature
Both chambers of Congress have now voted to end the longest-ever federal shutdown, sending a funding bill to reopen the government to President Donald Trump for his signature.
The House voted Wednesday night to give final approval to a short-term bill to reopen the government after a record 43 days, ending a six-week bitter stalemate over the fate of an Obamacare program loathed by Republicans.
The final vote was 222-209.
Back in Washington for the first time since mid-September, nearly every Republican, along with a handful of Democrats, voted for the bill, which sets up a new funding cliff in Congress on January 30, but some critical programs ensnared in the recent shutdown will be immune from future political fights as the bill provides funding for a few key agencies through the remainder of fiscal year 2026.
House voting now to pass bill to reopen the government
The House is now voting to pass the bill to reopen the federal government.
Once it passes, as expected, the bill will next go to President Donald Trump to sign into law, ending the longest government shutdown in US history.
Trump expected to sign bill to reopen government on camera tonight, White House says
The White House said Wednesday night that President Donald Trump will sign the government funding bill on camera from the Oval Office at 9:45 pm ET.
Trump had initially planned a private dinner at 7:30 pm with coverage by some White House press, but that has now been closed to media. Instead, cameras will be allowed into the Oval Office for an on-camera signing of the funding bill that will reopen the federal government, according to the White House.
The signing has also been formally added to the president’s daily schedule. That assumes, of course, it passes the House as expected.
The change in schedule comes after a White House press briefing earlier in the day, during which press secretary Karoline Leavitt hinted that reporters might see the president later in the evening when he signs the bill.
The signing of the bill would mark the official end the longest government shutdown in US history.
FAA's mandated flight cuts will be frozen at 6% due to strong staffing, transportation department says
The Federal Aviation Administration’s mandated cuts to flights at 40 major airports will not increase due to “strong air traffic controller staffing metrics,” the Department of Transportation said today.
The cuts – which were first announced last week – were set to increase to 8% Thursday and 10% Friday, but will not advance past 6% and will remain at that level until the FAA determines it can return to lower levels, officials said.
Thousands of flights have been canceled since the cuts were announced last week. The order to reduce flights was in response to air traffic controller staffing shortages driven by the government shutdown — during which air traffic controllers are required to work without pay.
Today, nine reports of air traffic control staffing problems were noted in FAA operations plans, down from the 40 seen on Monday and more than 100 reports of staffing problems over the weekend.
Strong staffing levels “suggest a further ramp up in-flight reductions are not necessary to keep the traveling public safe,” the Department of Transportation said. “As the federal government reopens and controllers receive their backpay, the FAA will continue to monitor staffing levels and review key trend lines.”
This post has been updated with additional information.
A bipartisan pair of representatives introduce a bill to extend health care subsidies
Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley and Democratic Rep. Sam Liccardo, who both represent California in Congress, have together introduced a bipartisan bill to extend the premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act for two years.
There are Republicans “who are extremely concerned about the prospect of this massive increase in premiums for a lot of our constituents. And so you’ve had a number who have come out publicly and said that they want to see some form of temporary relief,” Kiley told CNN.
He described the proposed bill as a “great compromise” because it provides a “temporary time-limited extension, but it does so in a way that actually has reforms such that we don’t increase the deficit in the process.”
Some context: Opposed to the Affordable Care Act, Republicans have decried the subsidy system as enriching insurers. In this bipartisan proposal, Kiley and Liccardo said they have addressed the GOP’s concern over funds.
Here’s how Liccardo explained their bipartisan bill will prevent enriching insurers:
- Taking an idea from Sen. Bill Cassidy’s proposal, the bill would go after the upcoding practices and the “very high reimbursements that insurance companies are getting for medicare advantage,” which could save money, he said. He noted that the Congressional Budget Office said it would save over $120 billion over 10 years.
- Drawing from Democratic Rep. Deborah Ross’s idea, the bill would also crack down on broker fraud.
What is upcoding? It’s when a health care provider submits codes to Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurers for more serious and expensive diagnoses or procedures than the provider actually diagnosed or performed.
When food stamp recipients will receive their full benefits will vary by state
It appears the record-long government shutdown is nearing its end, but just when the nearly 42 million Americans enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, will receive their full benefits for November will depend on where they live.
More than a dozen states have already started issuing full allotments to their residents during a brief window last week before the Supreme Court paused a lower court order requiring the US Department of Agriculture to fully fund the program. Several other states began sending partial benefits last week based on an earlier lower court order. Other states have not yet distributed any of this month’s aid.
Once the federal funding package is approved and signed into law, the USDA will send guidance to states within 24 hours to issue full benefits to states, a Department of Justice lawyer said during a federal court hearing on Monday.
After the government reopens, many states could issue full SNAP benefits within one to three days, said Lexie Kuznick, director of policy and government relations for the American Public Human Services Association, which represents state, county and city agencies. Some, however, could take up to a week to do so.
States that issued partial benefits would need to calculate how much more recipients are owed. They should be able to do within a week or so, Kuznick told CNN.
Pelosi tells CNN she still supports Schumer as Minority Leader as he faces backlash over government funding fight
Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi told CNN on Wednesday she still backs Chuck Schumer remaining Senate Minority Leader, as he faces calls from some corners of the Democratic Party to be replaced.
“Yes, I do,” Pelosi said when asked by CNN if she still supports Schumer in his role. “Who I don’t support is the president of the United States as the worst president for children America’s ever had. Food out of the mouths of babies, education away from their families and health care away from their families, as well as giving them the biggest national debt in history.”
Schumer voted against a bipartisan government funding bill that did not include a key demand from Democrats to extend expiring health care subsidies. But some progressives have nevertheless directed their ire at the Senate Democratic leader for failing to stop a bloc of centrists in the caucus from voting with Republicans to advance the legislation.
House takes key step forward, and will soon take final vote on funding package to reopen the government
The House has cleared a key procedural hurdle to set up a final vote on the Senate-passed funding package to reopen the federal government.
Lawmakers voted 213 to 209 advance the bill Wednesday, the 43rd day of the historic government shutdown.
9 reports of air traffic control staffing shortages as airlines prepare to cut more flights
There have been nine reports of staffing shortages at air traffic control facilities today, the Federal Aviation Administration said, as the House prepares to vote on reopening the government.
The total exceeded the five staffing shortages reported Tuesday but is well below the 63 reported on Saturday. Controllers are considered essential employees and must report to work but will not be paid until after the government reopens.
The numbers are being closely watched as airlines prepare for a mandatory cut to flights at 40 major airports, which are scheduled to jump to 10% on Friday. The Department of Transportation has said they will not change the cuts until staffing makes it safe to do so.
Air Route Traffic Control Centers in Albuquerque, Jacksonville, Indianapolis and New York are short-staffed Wednesday night, along with TRACONs, which handle approaching and departing planes in Orlando, Detroit and Newark. The Newark facility along with the Phoenix TRACON were also short staffed this morning.
Context: There have been 650 reports of short staffing since the start of the shutdown – more than six times as many as were reported on the same dates last year.
House now taking key procedural vote to start debate on government funding deal
The House is now taking a procedural vote to start debate on the Senate-passed government funding deal.
If the chamber clears this hurdle, a vote on passage is expected later tonight.
The latest guidance from Majority Whip Tom Emmer’s office is a vote on passage will take place around 7:45to 8:15 p.m., though this could be pushed back if leaders go long during floor debate remarks.
About 900 flights have been canceled and over 1,800 delayed today. Here's what to know
Over 900 flights have been canceled and more than 1,800 have been delayed across the nation today, according to data from FlightAware.
The flight disruptions are primarily due to a combination of air traffic controller staffing issues and an FAA-mandated reduction in flights because of the government shutdown – but also include unrelated flight cuts.
Airlines are expected to reduce tomorrow’s flight capacity at 40 major airports across the country by 8% and many have begun to make cuts.
It is unclear whether airlines will be expected to make the full 8% cut should a shutdown deal pass the House today. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has said that the FAA will only bring back capacity when it is safe to do so and controllers return to work.
More than 860 flights have already been canceled for tomorrow, according to the flight tracking website. Major US carriers have had to cancel hundreds of Thursday’s flights as they work to comply with the FAA mandate.
Here’s the breakdown of cancellations by airline:
- United: There will be 222 flights canceled Thursday, an airline spokesperson told CNN.
- Southwest: There will be around 170 cancellations tomorrow, up from 145 today, an airline spokesperson said.
- Delta: An airline spokesperson deferred to FlightAware, which shows 28 mainline Delta flights canceled so far.
- American: It’s unclear how many flights will be canceled Thursday, but a Tuesday news release notes that about 200 flights will be canceled each day. CNN has reached out for further information.
This post has been updated with additional informaiton.
GOP Rep. Scott calls controversial DOJ provision in funding bill "poorly worded"
GOP Rep. Austin Scott said he thought a provision in the Senate-passed government funding bill allowing lawmakers to sue if the DOJ or FBI subpoena their information or investigate them without notifying the Senate was “poorly worded” and predicted the House would eventually do away with the measure.
“I think it’s poorly worded, but I’m glad that other people were paying attention and read the legislation and was able to explain to the American citizens what’s in it,” he told CNN on Wednesday.
Scott was one of several Republicans on the House Rules Committee to take issue with the Senate-passed amendment, though they all voted to advance the bill to fund the government through January 30 through a key procedural step overnight.
Speaker Mike Johnson said Wednesday that House Republicans would draft a separate bill to strike contentious language in the stopgap spending bill that allows senators to sue the Department of Justice for obtaining their phone records during a Biden-era probe.
Scott said that if the Senate blocks legislation striking the provision, “this is a democracy, and voters can hold them accountable.”
Under the provision, senators can be awarded $500,000 or more in damages for each violation by the government if their lawsuit is successful.
Southwest says air travel appears to be rebounding and it's optimistic about resuming normal schedule
Southwest Airlines said air travel “appears to be returning to normal” as the carrier reported no air traffic control-related delays or cancellations on Tuesday beyond the reductions mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration.
As the House is set to vote this evening to reopen the federal government, Southwest COO Andrew Watterson said airlines are optimistic that once the shutdown ends, the FAA will “allow airlines to resume normal operations within a few days, enabling us to return to our full schedule in the very near future.”
Watterson said the improvements in air travel represent a “clear sign” that passengers can “continue to fly with confidence in our operation and that, even with the government shutdown still in place, the system is stabilizing and moving in the right direction.”
Context: The FAA ordered the flight reductions in response to staffing shortages driven by the government shutdown — during which air traffic controllers are required to work without pay.
Johnson says he and Grijalva had some "intense fellowship" about swearing in timeline
House Speaker Mike Johnson conducted a ceremonial swearing in with Democratic Rep. Adelita Grijalva where the pair posed for a photo in a more intimate setting after she was officially sworn in on the House floor.
Johnson complimented Grijalva by reflecting on her late father, whose seat she is filling, and characterized their fierce disagreement about the delay of her swearing in as “some intense fellowship.”
“I really like this lady. She is going to be an excellent member of Congress. She is a great person. I just told her on the way in that she fills her father’s shoes, or she is going to try, no one can. He was giant around here, served a long time, served his state very well. I served under him on the Natural Resources Committee for a while, admired the way he did the work, he was tenacious. So, she has a proud family legacy, and we’re delighted to have her here,” Johnson said.
“She may not agree with me, but we followed the custom of the House on the timetable. And we’ve had, as we say in the deep south, some intense fellowship about that, OK? But she’s here now. And I promised that we would have the oath administered before we began legislative business so she hasn’t missed a vote and we’re delighted you’re here. So, anything I can do to help you, as I do to all of the members, happy to get you acclimated and do everything. But you know more than most because your dad was here for a long time.” Johnson added.
Grijalva thanked the speaker and said, “I visited, I never did this job, so this is brand spanking new. So, I will take the offer of help.”
When asked why it took so long for her to be sworn in, Grijalva said, motioning towards Johnson, “that would not be my question.”
Johnson says he was "shocked" by inclusion of controversial DOJ provision in government funding bill
House Speaker Mike Johnson revealed to reporters that he was blindsided by language in the stopgap spending bill that would allow a small group of senators to reap financial gain by suing the Department of Justice for previous subpoenas.
The speaker said he didn’t know about it until the Senate had already passed the package.
“No. I found out about it last night. I was surprised, I was shocked by it, I was angry about it,” Johnson said, offering his first public comments to reporters about the provision that had — earlier Wednesday — compromised the bill’s passage in the House.
Johnson said he did not believe it was added by Senate Majority Leader John Thune in a nefarious manner.
“It was not any intent on his part to subterfuge in any way. I trust John Thune, he’s a great leader. But some members got together and hoisted that upon - put it into the bill at the last minute. And I wish they hadn’t. I think it was a really bad look, and we’re going to fix it in the House,” Johnson said.
The speaker had previously announced that House Republicans would draft a separate bill to strike the language, which would come to the floor at a future date — but not fix the language in the current stopgap because it would cause many days more more of delays in ending the shutdown.
Speaking on the House floor, newly sworn-in Rep. Grijalva vows to hold Trump accountable
Democratic Rep. Adelita Grijalva, of Arizona, who was finally sworn into Congress today, addressed lawmakers in the House moments ago.
“What is most concerning is not what this administration has done, but what the majority in this body has failed to do: Hold Trump accountable as a coequal branch of government that we are,” Grijalva said during her remarks.
Grijalva had to wait 50 days after being elected to be sworn in. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he would not swear in the Arizona Democrat amid the government shutdown until the House returned to legislative session, a delay that prompted outrage from Democrats. The swearing in took place after the chamber reconvened to vote on a Senate-passed bill to reopen the government.
While she waited to be sworn in, Grijalva had been unable to perform basic constituent services or even open an office in her southern Arizona district. She hasn’t had a working office phone, an office budget or the ability to use government systems.
The House GOP majority is now even more razor thin, paving the way for a vote to release the Jeffrey Epstein files. In her remarks today, Grijalva vowed to sign the discharge petition to release the files immediately. “Justice cannot wait another day,” she said.
5 staffing shortages reported at air traffic control facilities, according to FAA
There were five reports of staffing shortages at Federal Aviation Administration air traffic control facilities today as the House prepares to vote on reopening the government.
The facility that controls flights approaching or departing Detroit is short staffed until 9 p.m. ET, according to the most recent FAA operations plan.
The Albuquerque Air Route Traffic Control Center, which handles high altitude flights, will not be fully staffed from 7 p.m. ET to 2 a.m. ET.
The radar facility that handles planes approaching or departing Newark Liberty International Airport will be short-staffed from 5 to 9 p.m. ET. The same facility was short-staffed earlier this morning.
Earlier today, staffing problems were reported at the radar facility that handles flights arriving or departing the Phoenix area, with some flights seeing delays.
Yesterday, five reports of air traffic control staffing problems were noted in FAA operations plans, down from the 40 seen on Monday and 63 on Saturday.
There have been 646 reports of short staffing since the start of the shutdown, more than six times as many as were reported on the same dates last year.
Controllers are considered essential employees and must report to work but will not be paid until after the government reopens.
Johnson: House GOP will write future bill to strike controversial DOJ language
Speaker Mike Johnson said Wednesday that House Republicans would draft a separate bill to strike contentious language in the stopgap spending bill that allows senators to sue the Department of Justice for obtaining their phone records during a Biden-era probe, confirming CNN’s earlier reporting.
Conservatives like Rep. Chip Roy of Texas have been in talks with GOP leaders to strike the language, which they’ve described as a self-dealing provision added without House consent.
Johnson wrote on X: “House Republicans are introducing standalone legislation to repeal this provision that was included by the Senate in the government funding bill. We are putting this legislation on the fast track suspension calendar in the House for next week.”
These plans were first reported by CNN.
Democrats have skewered the provision, arguing that eight senators would stand to receive monetary compensation because they had been subpoenaed by the previous administration.
“What makes this corruption so staggering is that the payout is specifically designed to go to eight Senators whose phone records were lawfully subpoenaed under due process by the Department of Justice,” Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations panel, wrote in a statement. She accused those eight senators of voting “to shove taxpayer dollars into their own pockets – $500,000 for each time their records were inspected.”
Johnson later told reporters he learned of the provision last night, adding: “I was surprised, I was shocked by it, I was angry about it.”
Asked whether he’d spoken with Senate Majority Leader John Thune about it, Johnson said: “It was not any intent on his part to subterfuge in any way. I trust John Thune, he’s a great leader. But some members got together and hoisted that upon – put it into the bill at the last minute. And I wish they hadn’t. I think it was a really bad look, and we’re going to fix it in the House.”
House Democrats slam government funding bill and some call for Schumer to step aside
House Democrats decried the government funding bill that will come up for a vote on Wednesday, with some calling for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to step down for allowing it to clear his chamber with Democratic support.
Rep. Mike Levin, who on X said Democrats would be wise to move on from Schumer, said, “It’s pretty simple. Either he wouldn’t or couldn’t keep the Senate Democrats together.”
He slammed the government funding deal that senators reached, which promises a vote to address expiring enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, but doesn’t guarantee their extension. “The fact that we’re back here and there’s absolutely no solution and no commitment on the part of Mike Johnson to even hold a vote is disgraceful,” Levin said, adding, “I think it is a raw deal for the American people that that has not been addressed.”
Rep. Debbie Dingell told reporters the message she has heard from constituents is to keep fighting on the health care issue: “I have a lot of government workers in my district, and I saw the TSA yesterday, and they said to me, keep fighting.”
Rep. Pramila Jayapal said that “people understand what a betrayal this is to not be able to go back with a victory and certainly how cruel Republicans are to refuse to actually fix health care for their constituents.”
Asked if Senate Democrats need a new leader, she said, “Yes, I do, but that’s not in my hands. So that’s up to them.”
Other House Democrats were more coy in addressing questions about Schumer.
“I think we’re in an unprecedented moment that demands that we consider whether or not it’s the time for new leadership,” said Rep. Ayanna Pressley.
Rep. Mark Takano said his “ire” was directed at the deal that was struck.
