Government Shutdown Ends as Trump Signs Short-Term Spending Bill
President Donald Trump signed a short-term spending bill to reopen the government, ending the longest shutdown in US history which lasted 43 days. The House approved the measure 222-209, following a narrow Senate approval about two days earlier.
The funding extends through January 30 and includes full-year funding for the Department of Agriculture, as well as military construction and legislative agencies. The bill guarantees pay for federal workers for the time worked during the shutdown and extends SNAP food aid funding through next September.
The shutdown caused disruptions including reduced air travel due to FAA staff shortages and left approximately 1.4 million federal employees on unpaid leave or working without pay. Eight Senate Democrats voted for the package in exchange for a promised December vote on extending healthcare subsidies for low-income Americans, a move that drew political criticism.
During the shutdown, Adelita Grijalva's swearing-in as a new Democratic member of the House had been delayed but was completed following its end. House Speaker Mike Johnson announced that a vote would be scheduled next week on a petition to force a vote on the release of Jeffrey Epstein files.
