U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed into law an agreement to fund the government through the end of January, officially ending the 43-day shutdown that had become the longest in American history.
Speaking at the White House, Trump blamed the opposing party for the impasse, saying, “The extremists in the other party insisted on creating the longest government shutdown in American history, and they did it purely for political reasons. This is no way to run a country. I hope we can all agree that the government should never be shut down again.”
The spending bill passed the House of Representatives earlier in the day in a 222–209 vote, following Senate approval on Monday. The legislation restores funding at previous levels through January 30 and includes three-year appropriations packages for key agencies and programs, reinstating federal employees dismissed during the shutdown. The budget standoff began on October 1 amid disagreements over federal spending priorities. Democrats had sought extensions of Affordable Care Act subsidies and the reversal of cuts to Medicaid, but the final deal only guarantees a future Senate vote on the health care issue.
