The House of Representatives passed a funding measure Tuesday afternoon to end the partial government shutdown that began over the weekend, and President Trump signed it into law the same day.
The measure was passed in a very narrow vote (217-214) and broke down mostly along party lines. 21 Democrats voted in favor, and 21 Republicans voted against.
The legislation will fund a large portion of the government through the rest of the 2026 fiscal year which ends on September 30, 2026.
It also includes a provision guaranteeing back pay to federal employees for the four-day partial shutdown. This includes federal employees who were both furloughed and excepted (those required to work during the shutdown).
In a memo published on February 3, 2026, OPM said, “Section 103 of division H of the legislation provides retroactive pay pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 1341(c) to Federal employees affected by the partial lapse in appropriations that began on January 31, 2026. This includes Federal employees who were furloughed, as well as Federal employees who were required to perform excepted work activities during the partial lapse.”
The legislation also includes a short-term continuing resolution at current funding levels for the Department of Homeland Security which will expire on February 13. This is to allow more time to negotiate over possible new restrictions on immigration enforcement and is the next debate in Congress that must be settled. Failure to do so could result in another partial government shutdown later this month. There are already doubts whether this will be enough time to reach an agreement.
