By Ray Birch
WASHINGTON—The Senate has reached a deal to end the federal government shutdown, in an agreement that would also reverse the mass federal layoffs that have disrupted operations at key agencies—including the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund—since Oct. 1.
The Senate late Sunday voted 60-40 to end the shutdown stalemate and advance the House-passed stopgap, which will serve as the vehicle for the broader agreement, POLITICO reported.
According to POLITICO, the bipartisan framework was negotiated by Sens. Angus King, Jeanne Shaheen, and Maggie Hassan, along with Senate Majority Leader John Thune and the White House.
CUToday.info Sunday evening obtained an early copy of the Continuing Appropriations Act, which would fund federal operations while negotiations on full FY 2026 appropriations continue. The measure maintains government services, pay, and benefits through January 30, 2026, avoiding disruption to military personnel, veterans, and federal employees. It also includes language to reverse the mass federal layoffs enacted since Oct. 1.
That provision carries direct significance for the credit union industry. The reversal would bring back the U.S. Treasury’s CDFI Fund employees, whose termination had alarmed the community finance sector.
Defense Credit Union Council Chief Advocacy Officer Jason Stverak told CUToday.info that restoring the fund’s workforce would be a major win for the communities CDFIs were created to serve.
“DCUC believes these employees are vital to the continued operation of the CDFI Fund,” Stverak said. “If the deal holds, we would hope that the CDFI-Fund employees at Treasury would be included.”
The RIFs instituted in early October had left the fund effectively inoperative, halting progress on certification reviews, award disbursements, and other critical functions supporting low-income, rural, and veteran-serving credit unions.
“Firing every CDFI Fund employee threatens the very communities CDFIs were created to serve,” Stverak told CUToday.info in an earlier interview.
With Senate action expected to advance Sunday night and a House vote to follow, analysts now anticipate a rapid resolution to the shutdown.