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With the Trump administration softening some shutdown pain—and a court pausing layoffs for thousands of federal workers—urgency on Capitol Hill has ebbed. After a 10th failed Senate vote, lawmakers went home, while Speaker Mike Johnson kept the House idle until Senate Democrats relent on the House stopgap. The White House covered troops’ Oct. 15 pay, used $300 million in tariff revenue to sustain WIC, and pledged pay for 70,000 DHS officers. Democrats call the moves illegal and unsustainable; Republicans warn airports could face cancellations and delays. Open enrollment on Nov. 1 looms.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.