After 43 days, the United States government has officially reopened. President Donald Trump signed a bill on Wednesday to end the country’s longest government shutdown, calling it “a great day” for America.
The shutdown, which began on October 1, left hundreds of thousands of federal workers without pay and disrupted vital public services, including food aid, airport operations, and national parks.
The House of Representatives approved the bill in a narrow 222–209 vote, with six Democrats joining Republicans in support. It followed the Senate’s passage of the same bill earlier in the week.
The new funding measure restores operations across all federal agencies, ensures back pay for affected employees, and funds key programs such as the Department of Agriculture, veterans affairs, and SNAP food aid. It also includes new legal provisions protecting senators’ phone records and rolling back the legalization of hemp-derived THC products.
While the deal provides much-needed relief to millions, it fell short of Democratic goals to extend health insurance subsidies for low-income Americans. Lawmakers plan to revisit that issue in December.
Speaking from the Oval Office, President Trump declared, “The country has never been in better shape,” and urged Americans not to forget the shutdown when voting in the 2026 midterm elections. He accused Democrats of “political extortion” for triggering the shutdown over healthcare subsidies.
Republicans hailed the vote as a victory, while Democrats expressed disappointment, calling the compromise “a surrender.” Speaker of the House Mike Johnson described the shutdown as “utterly pointless,” saying, “Millions of families went without food on their tables—it was a game played with real people’s lives.”
As the government reopens, federal workers are returning to their posts, and agencies are resuming services. National parks, airports, and public programs are expected to normalize over the coming days, though some assistance programs like heating aid and early education services may take weeks to fully recover.
Despite the political drama, many in Washington expressed relief that the standoff had ended. Lawmakers from both parties were seen smiling and shaking hands after the vote, closing a turbulent chapter in American politics.