Dear John,

Last night, the House voted to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The past 43 days have devastated communities nationwide, harmed families, and left millions of Americans hungry.

Since October 1, 900,000 federal employees have been furloughed while nearly two million more continued to work without pay, marking the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The shutdown has reached far beyond federal workers, disrupting government contractors and state programs that depend on federal funding. 

With an agreement finally reached, government services are resuming, full SNAP and WIC benefits are being restored, and federal employees will receive their back pay. The new funding bill keeps the government running through January 30, 2026, and protects some key programs from future shutdowns by fully funding several major agencies for the rest of fiscal year 2026.

While the administration proposed a $1 trillion defense budget, they chose to freeze food assistance for millions of families. Social service agencies report seeing twice as many clients at food pantries, with families forced to "make decisions between buying food, paying rent, or getting prescriptions."

Emergency housing funds vanished. Disability resources disappeared. Mental health services were disrupted. And when federal judges ruled the SNAP freeze unlawful, the administration appealed to the Supreme Court to keep blocking food aid, which the Court granted.

Even though the government has reopened, the damage will take weeks to months to repair. The bill only extends SNAP through September 2026 and fundamentally resolves zero issues. Affordable Care Act subsidies, which would have prevented healthcare premium spikes, were deliberately excluded from the deal.

These past 43 days exposed a fundamental truth: when political leaders prioritize ideology over people, working families pay the price. 

We refuse to accept this as normal. Our organization will continue advocating for policies that put people before politics, and we'll keep fighting to ensure social safety nets are protected, not weaponized.  

In solidarity,
The Emgage Action Team