WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump has officially signed a funding bill that ends the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, bringing an end to 43 days of halted operations that disrupted key federal services and pay for hundreds of thousands of workers.
The Republican-led House of Representatives passed the measure by a 222–209 vote after the Senate approved it earlier in the week. The new legislation temporarily funds the government through January 30, though it continues to add roughly $1.8 trillion a year to the growing $38 trillion national debt.
Federal employees are expected to return to work immediately, restoring critical services such as food aid, air traffic control, and economic data reporting. However, the White House said some reports — including October employment and inflation data — might never be released.
Economists estimate the shutdown cost the U.S. economy over 0.1% of GDP per week, though much of the loss may be recovered later. The shutdown’s timing also strained households just before the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons.
Despite ending the standoff, neither political party claimed victory. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found 50% of Americans blamed Republicans, while 47% blamed Democrats. Democrats failed to win an extension of health insurance subsidies, though the Senate may revisit the issue in December.
Meanwhile, the deal’s passage revived attention on Jeffrey Epstein’s unsealed records and included new protections allowing senators to sue the Justice Department for privacy violations related to the January 6 investigation.
Republican Congressman David Schweikert likened the political chaos to a “Seinfeld episode,” saying, “We just spent 40 days and I still don’t know what the plotline was.”
Trump signs bill ending the 43-day U.S. government shutdown, restoring federal services and workers as political tensions rise over spending and policy.
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