The United States has officially ended its longest government shutdown in history after President Donald Trump signed a short-term spending bill to reopen federal operations.
The bill, passed by the House of Representatives 222–209 on Wednesday night, was signed by Trump just hours later. The legislation had been approved by the Senate two days earlier with a slim majority.
Speaking after signing the bill, Trump said, “The government will now return to normal operations. Many people were seriously affected by this 43-day shutdown.”
Since October, numerous federal services had been suspended, leaving around 1.4 million federal employees either furloughed or working without pay. Food assistance programs were halted, and air travel across the country faced disruptions.
Federal services are expected to resume fully in the coming days. However, the newly passed bill provides funding only through January 30, after which Congress will need to approve another spending measure to avoid a potential shutdown.
While the signing brings immediate relief to federal workers and service users, political analysts warn that without a long-term agreement on the budget, the risk of another shutdown remains.
