President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a bill that officially ended the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, just over two hours after the House of Representatives approved the legislation. The move will restore vital food assistance, resume pay for hundreds of thousands of federal workers, and rehabilitate a severely impacted air-traffic control system.
The House—currently under Republican control—passed the funding package with a 222-209 vote. Trump’s support was instrumental in keeping party members largely united despite resistance from House Democrats. Many of these Democrats have expressed frustration over a protracted dispute initiated by their Senate colleagues, which ultimately did not succeed in securing an extension of federal health insurance subsidies.
The legislation, which had already cleared the Senate earlier in the week, is set to bring furloughed federal employees back to work as soon as Thursday. However, the exact timeline for the full restoration of government operations remains uncertain as the bill is set to provide funding through January 30.
The resolution of the shutdown comes just two weeks ahead of Thanksgiving, providing a window for critical air-travel services to rebound. The resumption of food aid to millions is also expected to potentially free up funds in household budgets, supporting consumer spending as the holiday shopping season intensifies.
Additionally, the restart of government operations will re-enable statistical agencies to release essential data on the U.S. economy. The shutdown had left investors, policymakers, and families without key information on job market conditions, inflation, and overall economic growth. Some data, however, could be lost permanently. According to a statement from the White House, employment and Consumer Price Index reports for October may never be published.
