Congress has passed a bill to end the longest government shutdown in US history, restoring pay for federal workers and reopening critical services disrupted for over six weeks. The funding package, approved by the House of Representatives in a 222–209 vote, follows its earlier passage in the Senate and now awaits President Donald Trump’s signature, which the White House confirmed will come later on Wednesday.
The deal provides temporary funding through January 30, averting a deeper economic crisis but reigniting partisan tensions over healthcare and spending. The shutdown had crippled air-traffic control systems, stalled food assistance programs, and left hundreds of thousands of federal workers unpaid. The funding measure is projected to keep the government adding $1.8 trillion annually to its already $38 trillion debt.
Despite bipartisan fatigue over the standoff, the House vote underscored continued divisions. Republicans largely rallied behind Trump, while Democrats opposed the deal for failing to secure a long-term extension of federal healthcare subsidies. “I feel like I just lived a Seinfeld episode — 40 days later, and I still don’t know the plotline,” said Republican Congressman David Schweikert of Arizona, criticising the political brinkmanship that paralysed Washington.
Democrats, emboldened by recent electoral wins, had pushed for permanent healthcare funding extensions, but House Speaker Mike Johnson made no commitments beyond scheduling a potential Senate vote in December. Outgoing Democratic Representative Mikie Sherrill, delivering her final House speech before taking office as New Jersey’s governor, denounced the deal as a “blank cheque for cruelty.” She said, “Do not let this body become a ceremonial red stamp for an administration that takes food away from children and rips away healthcare.”
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released shortly after the vote showed no decisive political victor. About 50% of Americans blamed Republicans for the shutdown, while 47% faulted Democrats, reflecting widespread frustration with both parties.
The House returned to session for the first time since mid-September, ending a prolonged recess that had compounded the shutdown’s effects. Lawmakers immediately resumed contentious debates, including whether to release unclassified files linked to Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier and convicted sex offender. The issue resurfaced after newly sworn-in Democrat Adelita Grijalva — who succeeded her late father, Representative Raul Grijalva — provided the final signature needed to compel a House vote on declassifying those records.
In a controversial addendum, the funding bill also allows eight Republican senators to seek damages for alleged privacy violations tied to the Justice Department’s probe of the January 6 Capitol attack. It further bans federal investigators from accessing lawmakers’ phone data without prior disclosure and authorises lawsuits of up to $500,000 in damages, plus attorney fees.
While Trump’s endorsement of the funding package ensures an immediate reopening of the government, the reprieve is temporary. The new deadline of January 30 sets the stage for yet another funding showdown, with healthcare subsidies and federal debt spending expected to dominate the next political battle in Washington.
