President Trump signs the funding bill in the Oval Office as government agencies prepare to reopen after the longest shutdown in U.S. history.
Credit: Grok / X
In a significant turn of events, the federal government of the Donald Trump administration has formally reopened following the longest shutdown in U.S. history.
After 43 days of limbo, a short‑term spending bill was signed into law, marking a critical moment for federal employees, services and the nation’s fiscal stability.
Shutdown history and passage of the deal
The shutdown began in October when Congress failed to pass full fiscal year funding, driven by disputes especially over health‑care subsidies.
It dragged on until the House of Representatives approved a funding package by 222–209, and the Senate cleared it earlier.
President Trump signed the bill hours later, stating that the government would “resume normal operations” and acknowledging the hardship caused by the disruption.
Immediate impact on services and workers
During the shutdown, around 1.4 million federal employees were either furloughed or working without pay.
Key services such as food‑aid programmes and air‑travel operations were disrupted – for example the Federal Aviation Administration had reduced staffing, leading to air‑traffic slowdowns ahead of the Thanksgiving period.
With the deal in place, these services are now set to resume in the coming days.
What’s in the short‑term deal
The signed legislation funds the government through 30 January next year.
It also includes full‑year funding for certain agencies such as agriculture, military construction and legislative functions, plus back‑pay guarantees for affected workers and funding for the food‑aid scheme SNAP until September.
Unresolved issues and what comes next
While the immediate crisis has been averted, major policy disagreements remain on the table.
Notably, the health‑care subsidies that many Democrats demanded were deferred, with only a promise of a vote in December rather than inclusion in the spending bill.
This leaves the possibility open for future funding standoffs and places January as another potential deadline for fiscal drama.
The government reopens
For now, the government reopens, breathing relief into services and workers alike.
But the episode underlines a deeper fragility in how Congress funds the federal state.
As policymakers head into the early months of the new year, the echoes of this shutdown may yet shape the next chapter of American politics.
