WASHINGTON – Texas state and federal lawmakers churned out reactions Wednesday evening, following the end of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
The 43-day shutdown ended after President Donald Trump signed a bill approved by both the House and Senate, capping weeks of back-and-forth negotiations between the two parties.
The signing ceremony came just hours after the House passed the measure on a mostly party-line vote of 222-209. The Senate had already passed the measure on Monday.
Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) voted no on the “disastrous bill,” a statement from Castro’s office read.
>> President Trump signs government funding bill, ending shutdown after a record 43-day disruption
Although it is a short-term funding bill for programs through Jan. 30, it is expected to bring relief to millions of Americans and provide paychecks for federal workers, with some likely to receive back pay.
The shutdown’s far-reaching effects
Trump’s signature draws to a close the second government shutdown he’s overseen in the White House, one that magnified the partisan divisions in Washington as his administration took unprecedented unilateral actions — including canceling projects and trying to fire federal workers — to pressure Democrats into relenting on their demands.
Those demands largely centered on extending Affordable Care Act tax credits, which House Speaker Mike Johnson called “a boondoggle to insurance companies.”
The government’s reopening means health insurance costs could double for some Americans.
“House Democrats took up the fight to protect affordable healthcare,” part of Castro’s statement said. “Texas has the highest rate of uninsured folks in the country, and Affordable Care Act tax credits helped 3 million Texans afford healthcare. For far too many, this now means the difference between life and death.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune promised Democrats a vote on the issue by mid-December, but Johnson has declined to say whether he will put it up for a vote, the Associated Press reported.
The timeline for the 42 million Americans who receive SNAP benefits, however, remains uncertain, even after Congress agreed to end the shutdown.
One provision in the bill that would reopen the government calls for restarting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, but even that doesn’t resolve when the benefits will be loaded onto the debit cards beneficiaries use to buy groceries.
In a statement to X, formally known as Twitter, a spokesperson for James Talarico — a Democrat lawmaker from Austin and candidate for U.S. Senate — called the early negotiations “a surrender” of health insurance for Texans.
How did Texas lawmakers react
Reactions from lawmakers across the aisle issued statements in support and opposition to the short-term funding bill.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) called it “the dumbest government shutdown in history,” following the Senate’s vote on Monday.
Nearly every GOP senator, including Cornyn and Ted Cruz, along with eight Democrats, supported the Senate vote, The Texas Tribune reported on Monday evening.
Congressman Greg Casar (D-Texas) posted a video to X saying, in part, “I’m back in D.C. to vote no on a bill that allows health care costs to rise for millions of people.”
>> The timeline for SNAP benefits remains uncertain, even after Congress agrees to end the shutdown
Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas) echoed similar concerns about health costs in his vote against the bill.
“I refuse to abandon the 60-year-old couple in my district who earns $82,800 a year and will see their health insurance premiums increase by $16,639, or 280 percent, if the ACA tax credits are allowed to expire,” Gonzales said in an emailed statement from his office.
Austin-area lawmaker Lloyd Doggett also pointed to healthcare in an emailed statement Wednesday.
“While I am pleased that those who suffered during the shutdown are getting some relief, this shameful bill completely abandons the millions of hardworking citizens who are likely to soon lose access to a physician,” Doggett said.
How is the hemp industry affected?
The short-term bill does present consequences for the hemp industry, issuing a ban on most THC products.
Within the legislation to end the longest-ever government shutdown is language that would ban hemp-derived THC products that have anything more than 0.4 milligrams of THC or other cannabinoids that could produce a high per container.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick led the charge to try to ban THC during the 2025 Texas legislative session, but Gov. Greg Abbott, who preferred regulation, vetoed a ban passed during the regular session. The state Legislature failed to pass any further attempts at THC regulation or bans during a pair of subsequent special sessions.
Eventually, Abbott issued an executive order ordering state agencies to begin the rule-making process to ban the sale of hemp products to minors.
Impacts on the nation’s airports
America’s aviation sector has, according to the Associated Press, been strained “under the weight” of the longest government shutdown in history.
Flight cuts were issued last week at at least 40 airports across the United States. Reductions at the affected airports will stay at 6% as controllers return to work, Federal Aviation Administration officials said this week.
Though with more than 9,000 flights canceled across the U.S., disruptions and flight cancellations could linger for some time, the AP said on Tuesday.
The Associated Press contributed to this reporting.
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