ILLINOIS - Illinois legislators are reacting after Congress reached a budget deal Wednesday that reopened the federal government following a 43-day shutdown.

The House approved the agreement 222–209, providing funding for Fiscal Year 2025 to keep the government running through Jan. 30, 2026, while negotiators work toward a longer-term deal for Fiscal Year 2026.

The legislation reverses the Trump administration’s mass firings of federal workers that began when the shutdown started Oct. 1. It also ensures furloughed employees and those who worked without pay will receive back pay.

The agreement also guarantees Senate Democrats a vote on legislation to extend the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies first expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic, which are set to expire at year’s end.

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