Trump signs spending bill ending longest government shutdown in US history

Washington D.C. — President Donald Trump has signed a short-term spending bill to reopen the federal government, officially ending the longest shutdown in United States history — 43 days.

The bill, which passed the House of Representatives late Wednesday by a 222-209 vote, was signed into law just hours later, following a narrow Senate approval two days prior.

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said the government would now “resume normal operations” after “people were hurt so badly” by the extended shutdown.

Since October, roughly 1.4 million federal employees have been furloughed or forced to work without pay. Namerous public services were suspended, food aid was disrupted, and air travel across the country suffered due to staffing shortages within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Government operations are expected to restart in the coming days, with air travel disruptions likely to ease ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.

The bill provides funding only until January 30, meaning lawmakers will soon face another deadline to secure a longer-term budget.

Before signing the measure, Trump blamed Democrats for the shutdown, saying, “They did it purely for political reasons. When we come up to midterms and other things, don’t forget what they’ve done to our country.”