President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a funding bill that officially ends the longest government shutdown the United States has ever experienced. The move came shortly after the House of Representatives passed legislation to restore food assistance programs, reopen critical federal services, and get hundreds of thousands of government employees back to work.
The Republican-led House approved the funding package in a 222–209 vote. Despite intense pushback from Democrats—who were frustrated that the shutdown failed to secure an extension of federal health insurance subsidies—Trump’s support helped unify most Republicans behind the bill. The Senate had already cleared the measure earlier in the week.
With Trump’s signature, federal workers who spent 43 days without pay or work can begin returning to their jobs as early as Thursday. Still, it remains uncertain how long it will take for all government functions and services to fully recover.
“We cannot let this happen again,” Trump said during the late-night signing ceremony in the Oval Office, using the moment to sharply criticize Democrats. “This is not how a country should operate.”
The bill funds the government through January 30, and it continues the trend of adding roughly $1.8 trillion per year to the nation’s already staggering $38 trillion debt.
Republican Representative David Schweikert of Arizona expressed his frustration with how Congress handled the shutdown, joking, “I feel like I just lived through a Seinfeld episode. We spent 40 days on this, and I’m still not sure what the storyline was.”
He added that he expected the conflict to last only a couple of days: “People would get it out of their system and then move on. But now? Rage has become the policy.”
The reopening of the government is expected to bring relief to sectors hit hardest by the shutdown—especially air travel. With the busy Thanksgiving season just weeks away, officials hope air-traffic control and other travel-related services have enough time to stabilize. Millions of families will also see food assistance programs restored just as the holiday and shopping seasons ramp up.
Another major impact is the return of federal economic data. Statistical agencies will soon resume releasing key information on employment, inflation, and consumer behavior after weeks of silence. However, some data may never be recovered. The White House said reports for October, including jobs and Consumer Price Index figures, might not be released at all.
Economists estimate the shutdown shaved more than a tenth of a percentage point off GDP each week it continued—a significant hit—but they expect most of that lost output to be regained over the coming months.
No Guarantees on Healthcare Subsidies
The shutdown ended eight days after Democrats scored major electoral wins, which many believed strengthened their push to renew federal health insurance subsidies set to expire soon. While the new deal sets up a Senate vote in December on the issue, House Speaker Mike Johnson has not committed to holding a vote in the House.
Democratic Representative Mikie Sherrill—recently elected governor of New Jersey—used her final speech on the House floor to urge members not to cave to Trump’s administration.
“Do not let this chamber become a ceremonial stamp of approval for a government that takes food from children and strips away healthcare,” she said. “To the country: Stand strong. As we say in the Navy—don’t give up the ship.”
No Clear Political Winner
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Wednesday showed Americans divided on who to blame for the shutdown: 50% pointed to Republicans, while 47% blamed Democrats. Neither side appears to have gained a clear political advantage.
Wednesday also marked the House’s first day back in session since mid-September—a recess that had been intended to pressure Democrats. The chamber’s return triggered immediate attention to another contentious issue: unclassified Jeffrey Epstein records. A new Democratic member, Adelita Grijalva, provided the final signature needed to force a House vote on releasing the documents, just hours after Democrats published another set of Epstein papers.
This means that, even after fulfilling its duty to fund the government, the House may soon plunge into yet another controversial investigation involving Trump and his late former associate—a topic long surrounded by public scrutiny and conspiracy theories.
The funding bill also includes a provision allowing eight Republican senators to seek damages over alleged privacy violations linked to the Justice Department’s investigation into the January 6th attack. The measure retroactively restricts the collection of senators’ phone records without disclosure and gives those affected the right to sue for up to $500,000 in damages plus legal costs.