It's Thursday, November the 12th, 2025, and you've joined us for Denison Forum's Daily

Article podcast. Welcome. Cultural Theologian Dr. Jim Denison wrote today's daily article,

and I'm Chris Elkins, narrator. Last night, President Trump signed into law a spending package that reopens the U.S. government,

drawing the record long 43-day shutdown to a close.

The package includes funding for the federal government through January the 30th,

full-year funding for the Agricultural Department, Military Construction, and Legislative Branch,

language guaranteeing the reversal of federal layoffs initiated by the Trump administration

during the shutdown, and a moratorium on future cuts, and paychecks for federal employees,

including air traffic controllers, which will send thousands of furloughed government workers

back to the job.

However, the bill postponed the issue that was central to the standoff until later this year,

how to address the expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies.

Democrats refused to fund the government without assurances that the subsidies would be extended.

Republicans wanted to fund the government and then debate the subsidies.

The debate highlighted a strange feature in our federal governance.

Democrats are in minority in both the House and the Senate,

so Republicans could presumably have outvoted them and passed the legislation they wanted.

They did so in the House, the measure they approved yesterday and sent to the president for his signature,

passed 222 to 209, largely along party lines.

But they could not do so in the Senate, even though they hold a 53 to 47 majority.

Only after eight senators, seven Democrats and one

independent, agreed to vote with the Republicans, could they pass the legislation to the House,

...