By Washington, D.C. — President Donald Trump has officially signed a bipartisan bill to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, bringing to a close a 43-day standoff that left hundreds of thousands of federal employees unpaid and disrupted key services across the nation.
The Republican-led House of Representatives voted largely along party lines to approve the Senate-passed package, which reopens federal departments and agencies shuttered since the budget impasse began. The move follows weeks of intense political wrangling between Republicans and Democrats, who traded blame over the crisis.
Speaking from the Oval Office shortly after signing the bill, Trump praised Republican lawmakers for their unity while sharply criticizing Democrats, accusing them of “holding America hostage.”
“Today, we are sending a clear message that we will never give in to extortion,” Trump declared, flanked by senior Republican leaders including House Speaker Mike Johnson. “The American people should remember who caused this pain when they vote next year.”
Earlier in the day, Speaker Johnson had delivered a fiery speech on the House floor, accusing Democrats of intentionally prolonging the shutdown for political gain.
“They knew it would cause pain, and they did it anyway,” Johnson said. “The whole exercise was pointless. It was wrong and it was cruel.”
Shutdown Impact and Recovery
According to federal officials, roughly 670,000 civil servants who had been furloughed are expected to return to work immediately. Another 670,000 federal employees, including 60,000 air traffic controllers and airport security personnel who continued working without pay, will now receive their delayed salaries.
The deal also reinstates federal workers who were dismissed during the shutdown, with air travel disruptions expected to ease gradually as normal operations resume.
Economists estimate that the shutdown inflicted significant economic damage. While Trump claimed Democrats had cost the nation $1.5 trillion, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects a much lower figure — approximately $14 billion in lost economic output.
Political Fallout Ahead of Elections
The record-breaking shutdown exposed deep divisions in Washington, intensifying partisan tensions ahead of next year’s high-stakes midterm elections. Analysts predict both parties will leverage the episode to rally their respective bases, as public confidence in government leadership continues to waver.
For now, the reopening of federal agencies brings a sigh of relief to millions of Americans affected by the impasse — though the political aftershocks may reverberate well into the 2026 campaign season.
