1. 🏛️ Government Shutdown Status

• The government had been shut down for 40 days, the longest in U.S. history.
• A Senate vote secured 60 votes (including 8 Democrats) to begin the reopening process.
• The continuing resolution (CR) will fund the government through January 30, avoiding a holiday-season funding crisis.

2. ⚙️ Reopening Process

• Despite the vote, procedural delays (e.g., Senate rules requiring 60 votes and time gaps between votes) mean the government may not fully reopen until Tuesday or Wednesday.
• Unanimous consent could have expedited the process, but some Democrats (e.g., Bernie Sanders) were accused of obstructing.

3. ✈️ Impact on Travel and Public Services

• TSA agents and air traffic controllers were working without pay, leading to sick-outs and flight delays.
• Even after reopening, normal operations may take several days to resume.

4. 📜 Legislation Introduced

• Deporting Fraudsters Act of 2025:

  • Would make welfare fraud by illegal immigrants a deportable offense.
  • Cites statistics on non-citizens receiving SNAP and WIC benefits.
  • Claims a 10-year cost of $15 billion due to illegal immigrant access to benefits.

• Obamacare Subsidies Debate:

  • Discussion on expiring subsidies for health insurance companies.
  • Republicans agreed to a vote in early December on whether to extend these subsidies.
  • Cruz and Trump oppose the subsidies, calling them corporate welfare, and advocate for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) instead.

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