In a dramatic move late Wednesday evening, President Donald Trump signed into law a funding bill that officially ended the longest federal government shutdown in United States history, which stretched 43 days.
The legislation, which passed the House by a 222-209 vote, had already cleared the Senate earlier in the week. It reinstates funding for most federal agencies through January 30, 2026, and includes full-year appropriations for key sectors such as agriculture, veterans affairs, the legislative branch and military construction.
President Trump said he supports the deal and expressed relief at its passage, noting that federal workers—many of whom had been furloughed or working without pay—would be returning to work with back-pay. “We’re going to ensure people get paid, we’re going to ensure the government is reopened, and we’re moving forward,” Trump declared in remarks ahead of the signing. While exact quotes of the signing event were limited in early releases, he emphasized that “this deal is very good” and pledged to “abide by the deal,” referring to reversing the layoffs his administration initiated during the shutdown.
Despite the breakthrough, the legislation remains incomplete from a longer-term budgeting perspective and does not address certain Democratic priorities such as extending tax credits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Congressional observers say the underlying tensions that triggered the shutdown remain unresolved.
Many federal services that had been suspended—including some national parks, agricultural loan offices, and airport security operations impacted by staffing shortfalls—are expected to resume or ramp up almost immediately following the president’s signature. For the millions of federal workers and contract employees who were affected, the reopening marks a much-needed return to normalcy.
In his remarks, Trump thanked Republican leadership in Congress for pushing the bill through and reiterated his belief that the shutdown “should never have lasted this long.” He added that American taxpayers “paid a heavy price” for the impasse, and said “we will not let government be held hostage again.” The president also hinted at future efforts to regulate the appropriations process and keep a closer eye on fiscal discipline going forward.
As agencies begin coordinating the return to full operations, agency heads and managers will be tasked with implementing the back-pay provisions and resuming suspended programs. While the immediate crisis is over, the focus now shifts to negotiating the remaining nine full-year spending bills and averting another showdown when the next deadline arrives.
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