- President Donald Trump signed a short-term spending bill to reopen the U.S. government after a 43-day shutdown
- The House passed the bill 222–209, following Senate approval earlier this week
- About 1.4 million federal workers were affected, with major disruptions to air travel and food aid
President Donald Trump has signed a short-term spending bill to reopen the federal government, officially ending the longest shutdown in U.S. history.
He signed the measure into law on Wednesday night, just hours after the House of Representatives passed it by a 222–209 vote, following the Senate’s narrow approval earlier in the week.
From the Oval Office, Trump announced that the government would “resume normal operations,” acknowledging that “people were hurt so badly” during the 43-day shutdown.
Since October, many government services had been halted, leaving 1.4 million federal workers unpaid and disrupting food aid programs and air travel nationwide. The FAA had reduced operations due to staff shortages, causing major flight delays.
Government services are expected to gradually reopen over the next few days, with travel disruptions expected to ease ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.
The new measure only funds the government through January 30, meaning Congress will again have to negotiate long-term funding before the deadline.
Before signing the bill, Trump blamed Democrats for causing the shutdown, calling it a “politically motivated” move.
“When we come up to midterms and other things, don’t forget what they’ve done to our country,” he said.
The shutdown began after Senate Democrats, though a minority, blocked a funding bill, demanding an extension of health insurance subsidies for low-income Americans. Republicans refused, saying the issue could be addressed later.
Eventually, eight Senate Democrats broke ranks and voted to end the shutdown after securing a promise for a December vote on the healthcare subsidy issue.
The compromise sparked internal backlash from Democratic leaders, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and California Governor Gavin Newsom, who criticized the deal for lacking meaningful healthcare reform.
Senator Chuck Schumer called the package inadequate, while Senator Tim Kaine, who supported it, said federal workers in his state were “saying thank you” for ending the impasse.
Meanwhile, newly elected Representative Adelita Grijalva of Arizona was sworn in on the same day, filling the seat left vacant by her late father, Raul Grijalva.
The new funding bill extends government operations until January 30, provides full-year funding for the Department of Agriculture, military construction, and legislative agencies, and ensures back pay for federal workers. It also extends SNAP food aid through next September and includes a commitment for a December vote on healthcare subsidies.
