Government Shutdown Trump Signs Bill to End 35-Day Record US

President Donald Trump has signed a short, term spending bill to reopen the US government, bringing an end to the longest shutdown in American history after 43 days of partial closure.

The bill was approved by the House of Representatives in a 222, 209 votes on Wednesday night, two days after the Senate narrowly passed the same measure. Mr. Trump signed it into law just hours later in the Oval Office, restoring funding for key federal agencies and allowing government operations to resume.

“The government will now resume normal operations,” the president said, acknowledging that “people were hurt so badly” during the shutdown.

Shutdown ends after 43 days of disruption

The shutdown which began in October after funding expired left around 1.4 million federal employees either furloughed or working without pay. Essential government services were suspended, food assistance programmes stalled, and air travel across the country was heavily disrupted as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reduced air traffic due to staffing shortages.

Officials say government departments are expected to reopen fully within days, with air travel and other public services returning to normal in time for the Thanksgiving holiday.

The shutdown caused widespread frustration in Washington. Some lawmakers went to extraordinary lengths to reach the Capitol for Wednesday’s vote including Wisconsin Republican Derrick Van Orden, who rode his motorcycle nearly 1,000 miles to cast his ballot in person.

Funding until 30 January, But another deadline looms

The deal signed by President Trump will keep the government open only until 30 January, giving Congress a few short weeks to agree on a longer, term budget.

The temporary measure includes:

• Full year funding for the Department of Agriculture, military construction, and legislative agencies.
• Back pay for federal workers affected by the shutdown.
• Continued funding for SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) until September, supporting one in eight Americans.
• An agreement for a December vote on healthcare subsidies, a key Democratic demand.

Political blame and party tensions

Mr. Trump repeatedly blamed Democrats for the shutdown, accusing them of obstructing government operations “for political reasons.”

“They did it purely for politics,” he said. “When we come up to midterms and other things, don’t forget what they’ve done to our country.”

Democrats had initially refused to back the funding bill, demanding Republicans agree to extend health insurance subsidies for low, income Americans set to expire at the end of the year.

While Senate Republicans fell short of the 60 votes needed to pass the bill on their own, eight Senate Democrats eventually broke ranks to vote for the compromise after securing a promise of a future vote on healthcare funding.

The decision triggered a fierce backlash within the Democratic Party. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the move, arguing that the compromise “failed to address America’s healthcare crisis.”

“This bill does nothing of substance to fix healthcare,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who voted against the measure.

But others, including Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, defended the deal.

“Federal workers in my state are saying thank you,” Kaine said. “Ending the shutdown was the right thing to do.”

A new face in Congress

The vote came just hours after Democrats welcomed their newest lawmaker, Adelita Grijalva of Arizona, who was sworn in on Wednesday following her election on 23 September.

Grijalva, the daughter of the late Representative Raul Grijalva, joins the House as Democrats prepare a series of new legislative pushes, including a petition to release files related to Jeffrey Epstein.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said he would schedule a vote next week on the measure, surprising many within both parties.

Read More: Trump Loyalist Laura Loomer Issues Stark Warning of GOP Losses

What comes next

Although the shutdown has officially ended, the underlying political divisions that caused it remain unresolved. Lawmakers must now work to negotiate a long-term funding package before the new deadline at the end of January — or risk another government closure.

For now, federal employees are preparing to return to work, airports are expected to ease back into normal schedules, and millions of Americans who rely on government services will see operations resume.

“This deal ensures the government is back on its feet,” one senior administration official said. “But the real test will come in January.”