- Trump ends 43-day government shutdown after House passes funding bill with narrow 222-209 vote.
- Over one million furloughed federal workers to return to jobs with full pay restored under the new agreement.
- ACA subsidies debate continues as Democrats plan December vote to extend expiring health insurance tax credits.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday night signed a funding bill that officially ended the 43-day federal government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history. The measure, approved earlier by the House of Representatives in a 222-209 vote, will finance government operations through the end of January.
The Senate passed the same bill two days earlier after a narrow bipartisan agreement met the 60-vote threshold. Trump, surrounded by Republican congressional leaders in the Oval Office, accused Democrats of blocking previous funding efforts for political leverage.
“The Democrats tried to extort our country,” he said before signing the measure. He added that “people were hurt so badly,” referring to the more than one million furloughed federal employees and disruptions to critical services. He urged the Senate to abolish the filibuster rule that requires 60 votes to pass legislation.
Federal Workers to Return and Receive Full Pay
The Office of Management and Budget directed federal employees to resume work on Thursday. Under the new agreement, all furloughed workers will receive their regular pay, including back wages.
The shutdown had disrupted essential operations across agencies, notably in transportation and public safety. The U.S. Department of Transportation immediately froze additional flight reductions that were planned due to air traffic controller shortages.
Before the bill’s passage, flight cancellations had reached 6% of scheduled operations nationwide, with projections indicating a rise to 10% by Friday. The extended shutdown also delayed food assistance for millions, forcing agencies to draw from a limited contingency fund. With the new law, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which supports 42 million Americans, will be fully funded again.
Sharp Divisions in Congressional Votes
The House vote reflected deep partisan divisions. Only two Republicans, Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Greg Steube of Florida, opposed the bill. Six Democrats, including Representatives Jared Golden of Maine and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, also voted against it.
House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana called the measure essential to restore government functions, while House Majority Leader Steve Scalise blamed Democrats for prolonging the shutdown. Senate negotiations were equally tense. Seven Democrats and one independent senator joined Republicans to pass the bill on Monday night.
As part of the compromise, Senate Republicans agreed to allow Democrats a future vote in December on extending the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits. These credits, set to expire next month, help 20 million Americans afford health insurance coverage.
ACA Subsidies and Future Budget Talks
Despite the short-term deal, Democrats criticized the bill for excluding an extension of the ACA subsidies. Representative Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut warned that many Americans could see their premiums “double or even triple” next year. The agreement also includes measures for a bipartisan budget process and restricts the White House from relying on continuing resolutions to fund the government.
The bill effectively ends all shutdown-related layoffs and restores federal operations after more than six weeks of closure, reopening the government’s doors and stabilizing public services nationwide.
