President Donald Trump has approved a short-term spending bill that ends the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. He signed the measure just hours after the House of Representatives voted 222 to 209 on Wednesday night. The Senate had narrowly passed the same legislation two days earlier following intense debate.
In the Oval Office, Trump said the government would “resume normal operations” after “people were hurt so badly” during the 43-day closure. Since October, many federal agencies had suspended operations. About 1.4 million federal employees were either on unpaid leave or working without pay. Food assistance programs froze, and nationwide air travel suffered major delays.
Federal agencies prepare to reopen
Government services are expected to resume within days, providing relief ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. Air travel should stabilize as the Federal Aviation Administration restores full staffing. The agency had reduced flights nationwide due to staff shortages caused by the shutdown.
The closure also disrupted Congress. Wisconsin Republican Derrick Van Orden rode his motorcycle nearly 1,000 miles to Washington to cast his vote in the House before the bill reached the president’s desk.
The legislation only funds the government until 30 January, leaving lawmakers limited time to reach a long-term funding solution.
Trump blames Democrats for shutdown
Before signing the bill, Trump accused Democrats of deliberately causing the government closure. “They did it purely for political reasons,” he said, urging Americans not to forget “what they’ve done to our country” in upcoming elections.
Although Democrats are the Senate minority, they blocked an earlier version of the funding bill. Republicans fell seven votes short of the 60 required to pass it. Democrats demanded the legislation include an extension of healthcare subsidies for low-income Americans, set to expire at year’s end.
Republicans argued healthcare could be addressed after reopening the government. On Sunday, eight Senate Democrats broke ranks and voted for the bill after securing a promise of a December vote on the subsidies.
The decision drew criticism from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and California Governor Gavin Newsom, highlighting divisions within the Democratic Party.
Democrats divided over compromise
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the agreement “fails to do anything of substance to fix America’s healthcare crisis.” Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, one of the Democrats who supported the measure, defended his vote. He said federal workers in his state were “saying thank you” for reopening the government and restoring their pay.
Hours before the House vote, Democrats welcomed a new member, Adelita Grijalva, who was finally sworn in after weeks of delay. She was elected on 23 September but could not take office earlier because the House had been out of session since 19 September. Grijalva now fills the seat once held by her late father, Raul Grijalva.
New congresswoman backs Epstein records petition
Democrats quickly enlisted Grijalva to support a petition demanding the release of documents linked to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. The petition must remain open for seven legislative days before advancing. After that, House leaders must schedule a vote within two legislative days.
House Speaker Mike Johnson surprised lawmakers by announcing the vote would take place next week.
Key points of the funding bill
The deal extends federal funding until 30 January. It provides full-year funding for the Department of Agriculture, along with money for military construction projects and legislative agencies.
The bill guarantees back pay for all federal employees affected by the shutdown. It also funds the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which supports one in eight Americans, until next September.
Finally, the package includes a commitment to hold a December vote on extending healthcare subsidies — the main issue that divided Congress and prolonged the shutdown.
