WASHINGTON – A deal to end the government shutdown may be here, but it doesn't mean the lights will automatically come back on.

Lawmakers still must vote this week to approve the package in both the House and the Senate. They face growing time pressure as Americans cope with halted food stamps and canceled flights weeks before the holidays.

And even if they're successful, a Jan. 30 deadline will loom to avoid having to do this all over again. Keep an eye on the calendar for these important moments as the shutdown continues into its record-breaking sixth week:

  • This week: Starting on Monday, Nov. 10, proposals to reopen the government will start to work their way through both chambers of Congress. Lawmakers in the House of Representatives have been put on a 36-hour return notice, leaders said late Sunday.
  • Thanksgiving: Congressional leaders have indicated the shutdown will be over by the holiday. Sunday's agreement made that assertion much more likely.
  • Second week of December: The Senate will hold a vote on extending expiring Obamacare subsidies. It's unclear if such a measure would pass.
  • Jan. 30, 2026: The short-term funding measure lawmakers plan to pass as soon as this week would turn the government's lights back on until Jan. 30. If more full-year appropriations bills aren't passed by then, the government could shut down again, though only partially. More federal layoffs also can't happen until this date has occurred, per Sunday's deal.
  • September 2026: Under the bipartisan framework announced Sunday, food stamps would be funded at increased levels until the end of the next fiscal year, which is Sept. 30, 2026.

Zachary Schermele is a congressional reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Watch these key dates before and after the government shutdown ends

Reporting by Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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