After 43 Long Days, Government Shutdown Finally Ends
The longest government shutdown in U.S. history came to an end Wednesday night when President Donald Trump signed a narrowly approved spending bill into law. The measure, which passed the House by a 222 to 209 vote, allows federal agencies to resume operations after more than six weeks of halted services, unpaid workers, and mounting public frustration.
President Trump, flanked by Republican House leaders and several business executives, framed the bill signing as a victory for restoring normalcy but placed blame squarely on Democrats for what he described as “political extortion.” “With my signature, the federal government will now resume normal operations,” Trump said, while accusing Democrats of inflicting unnecessary harm on federal employees and the broader economy. Despite his claims, polling conducted during the shutdown showed that most Americans held Republicans primarily responsible for the standoff.
The final vote came only days after a small group of Senate Democrats broke ranks to join Republicans in advancing the spending measure: A move that triggered backlash within their party. The vote marked the House’s first session in nearly two months following an extended recess that stretched throughout much of the shutdown. For many lawmakers, the return to work underscored the urgency of addressing the far-reaching economic and social fallout of the funding lapse.
Some federal programs, including food assistance under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), are expected to restart within hours, providing immediate relief to millions of Americans who rely on government aid. However, other areas of government may take days or even weeks to fully recover from the disruption. Federal employees who went weeks without pay are now awaiting back pay, though trust in government leadership remains shaken.
Even as he celebrated the reopening, President Trump used the moment to warn voters not to forget the shutdown’s political battles. “People were hurt so badly,” he said. “When we come up to midterms and other things, don’t forget what they’ve done to our country.” The remark signaled that while the government may be back in operation, the partisan tensions that fueled the shutdown remain very much alive — setting the stage for more political clashes in the months ahead.
