Trump Signs Funding Bill to End Record 42-Day Government Shutdown
The longest government shutdown in American history officially ended Wednesday night after President Donald J. Trump signed a bipartisan funding bill sent to his desk by Congress, restoring full federal operations after 42 days of partial closure.
The House approved the compromise package in a 222–209 vote, following Senate passage earlier in the week. The measure keeps the government funded through January 2026, bringing relief to federal agencies battered by furloughs, delayed paychecks, and stalled services since the shutdown began on October 1.
Republican leaders celebrated the outcome, squarely placing responsibility for the shutdown on Democrats.
“The Democrat shutdown is finally over thanks to House and Senate Republicans,” GOP leaders said in a joint statement. “Democrats are responsible for millions of families going hungry and travelers stranded while our troops wondered if they’d be paid.”
President Trump signed the bill soon after the House vote, calling the weeks-long standoff “an act of extortion” by Democrats.
“We’re sending a clear message that we will never give in to extortion,” Trump said from the White House. “That’s what it was — the Democrats tried to extort our country.”
Six House Democrats—Adam Gray (CA), Tom Suozzi (NY), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA), Don Davis (NC), Henry Cuellar (TX), and Jared Golden (MN)—broke with their party to help pass the agreement. Two Republicans, Thomas Massie (KY) and Greg Steube (FL), opposed it.
The shutdown furloughed nearly 700,000 federal workers, with hundreds of thousands more—including military personnel, TSA officers, and federal law enforcement—working without pay. As Democrats continued to obstruct a continuing resolution, millions lost SNAP food benefits due to stalled funding.
The agreement brokered by Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and several moderate Democrats rescinds shutdown-related layoffs and restarts normal government functions. But it sidesteps a major Democratic demand: the renewal of Affordable Care Act tax credits that expired in September. Those subsidies had temporarily lowered premiums for millions and became the cornerstone of Democrats’ shutdown strategy.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) signaled that Democrats would press on.
“This fight is not over. We’re just getting started,” Jeffries said on the House floor. “Either Republicans extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits this year, or the American people will throw Republicans out of their jobs next year.”
The shutdown’s political impact has already shaken Washington. After Republicans underperformed in Virginia and New Jersey’s off-year elections, President Trump acknowledged that the shutdown had been “a big factor.” He has since renewed his push to abolish the Senate filibuster, arguing it blocks decisive Republican action.
“If you don’t terminate the filibuster, you’ll be in bad shape,” Trump warned GOP senators, saying Democrats “would immediately do it” if they had the majority.
The newly passed funding measure keeps spending at current levels through January but includes a pledge to hold a Senate vote in December on reinstating the ACA tax credits. It also reverses layoffs ordered by OMB Director Russell Vought, who used the shutdown to pare down the federal workforce and freeze infrastructure projects in states carried by Kamala Harris in 2024.
Democratic resistance to any short-term funding bill without guaranteed ACA subsidies held firm until mid-November. But as the shutdown crossed the six-week mark, their caucus began to fracture. In the end, eight Democratic-aligned senators joined Republicans to reopen the government.
Both parties are now claiming victory: Republicans for ending what they dubbed a “Democrat-driven shutdown,” and Democrats for securing a path to force a floor vote on health care subsidies.
Yet the respite is temporary. The government is only funded through January 31, 2026, setting the stage for another high-stakes clash just months into the election year.
As the 2026 campaigns begin taking shape, Democrats accuse Republicans of endangering vulnerable Americans by halting food and health programs, while Republicans argue they stood firm against reckless spending and political blackmail orchestrated by the left.