The longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history officially ended on Wednesday, Nov. 12, after President Donald Trump signed a funding bill to restore government operations.
“The federal government will now resume normal operations,” Trump said during the signing ceremony at the White House. He expressed appreciation to Democratic senators who supported the legislation on Monday, Nov. 10, noting they “did the right thing in voting to end this craziness.”
The U.S. House of Representatives approved the bill earlier in the day in a largely party-line vote of 222–209. Six Democrats voted with Republicans in favor of the measure, while two Republicans joined the remaining Democrats in opposition.
The Senate passed the legislation on Monday after several Democrats and Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine voted to advance it. The House then returned to session — its first since Sept. 19 — to vote on ending the 43-day shutdown.
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The package includes a “minibus” of three appropriations bills that secure federal funding through September 2026, according to NBC News. Remaining government operations are funded through Jan. 30.
A major point of contention centered on an enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credit scheduled to expire at the end of the year. Democrats insisted the extension be included, arguing that without it, millions would face higher health care costs. Republican lawmakers countered that the tax credit should be handled separately and accused Democrats of prolonging the shutdown despite Republicans holding majorities in both chambers.
“While the Democrats keep voting to shut their government down, Republicans are going to vote to open it back up,” House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana said prior to the vote. “And with that, we’re going to get the American government running again and working for the people, as they deserve.”
The legislation ensures full funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through September, which supports more than 40 million Americans.
It also reverses the administration’s previous actions removing federal workers from their jobs during the shutdown, as reported by the Associated Press. The law protects employees from additional layoffs through January and guarantees that back pay will be issued.
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Air travel disruptions, however, are expected to take time to resolve. Just hours before the measure was signed, the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration announced that a 6% reduction in flights at 40 major airports would continue temporarily, even though air traffic controllers are returning to work after serving without pay. Officials had been preparing for reductions of up to 10% later in the week.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that the agencies will restore full flight capacity only when the FAA confirms that operations are trending in a stable and safe direction.
