After more than 40 days, Congress has passed legislation to end the government shutdown. The bill funds the government through Jan. 30, 2026. It also includes three full-year appropriations bills to fund the Department of Veterans Affairs, the FDA, and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) through Sept. 30, 2026. With only until the end of January to fund the government long-term, appropriators will have to come up with legislation to fund the agencies that did not get full-year appropriations.
Attorneys for FBI director James Comey and New York attorney general Letitia James will try to disqualify interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Lindsey Halligan on Thursday. The defense attorneys will argue that a U.S. attorney can only serve 120 days on a temporary basis before needing Senate confirmation. If the judge concludes that Halligan’s appointment is invalid, the decision could be a fatal blow to the cases against both Comey and James.
