Trump Signs Bill, Ending 43-Day Shutdown—Longest in US History

President Donald Trump signed a spending bill on Wednesday night, November 12, 2025, formally ending the longest and most disruptive government shutdown in United States history. The 43-day impasse, which began on October 1, 2025, surpassed the previous 35-day record set during his first term in 2018-2019.
The shutdown was triggered by a bitter stalemate over federal funding for the 2026 fiscal year. The Republican-controlled Congress and the White House were at odds with Senate Democrats, who had refused to pass an appropriations bill unless it included an extension for expiring Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance tax credits.
The shutdown’s end came after a small group of moderate Senate Democrats broke with their party to negotiate a deal with Republicans, passing a funding measure on Monday, November 10. The House of Representatives followed suit on Wednesday, passing the bill by a narrow 222-209 vote, sending it to the president’s desk.
The new law funds the government through January 30, 2026. While it does not include the ACA subsidy extension Democrats had demanded, Senate leadership has reportedly promised to hold a separate vote on the issue.
A key provision of the bill is the immediate reversal of layoffs for thousands of federal workers, which had been ordered by the administration during the shutdown.
The 43-day lapse in funding caused severe, cascading disruptions across the nation. An estimated 900,000 federal employees were furloughed, and millions more were forced to work without pay. The shutdown led to chaotic staffing shortages at airports, causing mass flight delays, and halted the distribution of federal food assistance (SNAP) to millions of families. Federal workers are expected to receive back pay, and full government services are set to resume.