The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a short-term funding bill that officially ends the nation’s longest government shutdown in history. President Donald Trump is expected to sign the measure into law tonight at the White House, restoring federal operations after 42 days of closure.
Government Shutdown Ends After Weeks of Disruption
The House vote passed 222-209, with two Republicans opposing and six Democrats supporting the proposal, per a CNBC report. Speaker Mike Johnson urged lawmakers before the vote to “get this done,” marking the final step toward reopening essential services across the country.
The bill follows days of tense negotiations between Republican and Democratic leaders after the Senate reached a breakthrough deal earlier. That agreement included a December vote on Affordable Care Act tax credits, an issue that had stalled progress for over a month.
The government shutdown began on October 1, triggered by a deadlock over health insurance subsidies that help 20 million Americans. Senate Democrats had refused to back any proposal that excluded an extension of those tax credits, while Republicans resisted new spending provisions.
President Trump will sign the bill at 9:45 p.m. ET in the Oval Office. This will officially reopen the U.S. government and bring to an end the longest shutdown in the history of the American government.
An Agreed Consensus To Bring Back Stability
Federal employees had no pay, there was more traffic in airports as well as significant capacity limitations among important agencies during the standoff. Long closure also put the crypto markets down, as Bitcoin and Ethereum suffered significant losses.
The Department of Transportation said 6% of scheduled flights were already canceled. It warned that cancellations could reach 10% by Friday if no funding deal was reached.
The approval guarantees that all federal workers will be paid back. Also, funds for all essential programs will be made available. This includes the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that is helping nearly 43 million Americans.
The deal also establishes a bipartisan framework to prevent any future government shutdown. It stops the White House from relying solely on continuing resolutions for funding extensions.
Reactions From Lawmakers
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said the standoff “never should have happened,” blaming Democrats for prolonging the crisis. He accused them of prioritizing partisan demands over American workers. Bitcoin briefly rose ahead of the vote, as investors anticipated a swift resolution after weeks of political gridlock.
Meanwhile, Representative Rosa DeLauro warned that millions could still face higher health-insurance premiums without a permanent solution. “More than two million Americans may lose coverage next year,” she said.
