President Trump signs the funding bill in the Oval Office as government agencies prepare to reopen from the longest shutdown in U.S. history. Credit: Grok/X
In a significant turn of events, the federal government under President Donald Trump has officially reopened after the longest shutdown in U.S. history.
After 43 days of stalemate, the short-term spending bill was signed into law, marking a critical moment for federal employees, services, and the nation’s fiscal stability.
Shutdown history and deal making
The government shutdown began in October when Congress was unable to pass a budget for the fiscal year due to disputes over health care subsidies, among other things.
The issue persisted until the House approved the funding package 222-209, and the Senate approved it sooner.
President Trump signed the bill hours later, saying the government would “resume normal operations” and acknowledging the difficulties caused by the disruption.
Immediate impact on services and employees
Approximately 1.4 million federal employees were furloughed or worked without pay during the government shutdown.
Key services such as food aid programs and air travel operations were suspended. For example, the Federal Aviation Administration has cut staff, leading to a drop in air traffic ahead of the Thanksgiving period.
Now that a deal has been signed, these services are expected to resume within the next few days.
Contents of short-term contract
The signed bill provides funding to the government until January 30th of next year.
It also includes year-round funding for specific agencies such as agriculture, military construction and legislative functions, as well as guaranteed backpay for affected workers and funding for the food assistance program SNAP through September.
Unresolved issues and future challenges
Although an immediate crisis has been averted, key policy disagreements remain subject to debate.
Notably, health care subsidies, which many Democrats had requested, were delayed and only promised a December vote rather than being included in the spending bill.
This leaves open the possibility of a future funding impasse, with January potentially becoming a new deadline for fiscal issues.
government reopens
For now, the government has reopened, providing a sense of relief to both services and workers.
But this episode highlights serious weaknesses in the way Congress funds the federal state.
As policymakers enter the first months of the new year, the fallout from this government shutdown could shape the next chapter of American politics.
