Historic shutdown ends with stopgap bill that funds Wedgetail and Virginia-class sub

The longest government shutdown in U.S. history ended last night with the passage of a stopgap continuing resolution that extends federal funding through Jan. 30 and includes carve-out money for the E-7 Wedgetail aircraft and Navy shipbuilding.

The House passed the CR by a vote of 222-209, with six Democrats crossing the aisle in support of the bill and only two Republicans voting against it. The Senate passed the bill on Nov. 10 by a 60-40 vote, with seven Democrats and one independent supporting it and only one Republican opposing it.

President Trump signed the CR into law shortly after the House passed it, bringing the 43-day shutdown to an end.

The measure includes, among many other provisions, new funding for the E-7 Wedgetail aircraft development program and more than $1 billion for Navy shipbuilding with much of the funding -- more than $500 million -- going toward the Virginia-class submarine.

The debate over government spending is far from over, however, as most Democrats opposed the CR because it failed to extend health‑care subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and offered no guarantee of relief for low‑income Americans facing insurance premium hikes.

Looking ahead, lawmakers will need to negotiate a comprehensive funding bill -- possibly another yearlong CR -- and Democrats are signaling that future funding talks will hinge on including ACA subsidies, which Republicans have opposed.