Week of November 16, 2025

This is "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of Nov. 16, 2025! I'm Alex Thomas, Washington Correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with your look at national politics and the Arkansans influencing the discussions. The federal government shutdown ended last Wednesday when President Donald Trump signed a Senate plan to restore funding across the government. All six members of Arkansas' congressional delegation backed the proposal, which maintains current funding levels for most federal agencies through Jan. 30. The legislation additionally funds agriculture, military construction and veterans affairs programs, as well as congressional operations, for the rest of the fiscal year. The plan did not include language addressing the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, which will expire Dec. 31. Senate Democrats opposed an initial funding plan, citing the lack of attention toward extending these tax credits. STORY: Boozman, Cotton support Senate plan to end government shutdown STORY: Arkansas delegation backs bill to reopen government; Westerman says no one ‘gained anything’ from shutdown STORY: Arkansas’ Hallie Shoffner says government shutdown shows need for change on Capitol Hill Thank you for listening to "Arkies in the Beltway!" You can stay up to date with all Arkansas news at ArkansasOnline.com, or follow me on Bluesky for more developments from the nation's capital!