Donald Trump has signed legislation ending the longest government shutdown in American history, after the House of Representatives voted to restore funding for federal agencies and pay for hundreds of thousands of workers. The 43-day shutdown halted food aid, stalled air-traffic control, and disrupted key economic data.
Political fallout and public frustration
The House passed the funding package 222-209, with Trump's backing ensuring Republican unity despite Democratic opposition over the lack of health insurance subsidies. The deal, already approved by the Senate, extends funding through January 30 but leaves unresolved debates over healthcare and the federal debt.
Trump called the shutdown "no way to run a country," as both parties emerged without a clear victory. According to recent polls, 50% of Americans blamed Republicans for the standoff, while 47% blamed Democrats.
The reopening will help stabilize air travel and food programs ahead of the Thanksgiving rush, but some economic data may be permanently lost, according to the White House. Economists estimate the shutdown shaved more than 0.1% of GDP each week of the outage, losses expected to be gradually recovered.