President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a bill to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The decision came only hours after the House of Representatives approved a funding package to restore food assistance, pay federal workers, and revive the stalled air-traffic control system.
The Republican-controlled House passed the bill 222–209. Trump’s backing helped keep most of his party unified despite strong opposition from Democrats, who were frustrated that the lengthy standoff failed to secure an extension of federal health insurance subsidies.
The shutdown lasted 43 days. With Trump’s signature, federal employees can start returning to work as early as Thursday, although it remains unclear how quickly full services will resume.
“We can never let this happen again,” Trump said during a late-night signing ceremony in the Oval Office, using the moment to criticize Democrats. “This is no way to run a country.”
The agreement funds the government through January 30, keeping the U.S. on a path to add roughly $1.8 trillion each year to its $38 trillion national debt.
Republican Representative David Schweikert compared the shutdown to a “Seinfeld episode,” saying the 40-day dispute ended without a clear outcome. He added that rising political anger was increasingly shaping policy decisions.
The shutdown’s end offers some relief for sectors heavily disrupted in recent weeks. Air-travel services will have time to stabilize ahead of the busy Thanksgiving period, and millions of families will once again receive food assistance during the peak holiday shopping season.
It also means that key U.S. economic data will resume. Investors, policymakers, and households had been left without updates on inflation, employment, consumer spending, and overall economic growth.
However, the White House noted that October’s employment and consumer price reports may never be released.
Economists estimate the shutdown shaved more than 0.1 percentage point off U.S. GDP each week. Most of that lost output is expected to be recovered in the coming months.
Ongoing political divisions
The vote to end the shutdown took place just days after Democrats won several state-level elections. Many in the party believed the results strengthened their position in pushing for an extension of health-insurance subsidies set to expire at year-end.
While the funding deal sets up a December Senate vote on the subsidies, House Speaker Mike Johnson has made no commitment to bringing the measure to a vote in the House.
Democratic Representative Mikie Sherrill, who was recently elected governor of New Jersey, used her final House speech to criticize the bill and urge members to resist Trump’s policies.
“To my colleagues: Do not let this body become a ceremonial red stamp,” she said. “To the country: Stand strong. Don’t give up the ship.”
A Reuters/Ipsos poll found Americans largely split on who was to blame for the shutdown: 50% pointed to Republicans, while 47% blamed Democrats.
The vote came on the first day back in session for the Republican-led House since mid-September. The return also triggered renewed attention on unclassified documents linked to the late Jeffrey Epstein. Democrats recently released another batch of records, and a bipartisan petition forced the House to consider a vote to release all remaining files.
Democrat Adelita Grijalva was sworn in on Wednesday, filling the seat of her late father and providing the final signature needed to push the issue forward.
At the same time, the funding package includes a provision allowing eight Republican senators to pursue legal claims over alleged privacy violations tied to the Justice Department’s investigation into the January 6 Capitol attack. The measure also makes it illegal, in most cases, to obtain a senator’s phone data without disclosure and allows lawsuits seeking $500,000 in damages plus legal fees.
