Trump ends record 43-day shutdown with funding bill
Democrats accused Republicans of vacationing as federal workers missed paychecks, travelers faced delays, and food aid programs expired nationwide.
Washington: President Donald Trump on Wednesday night (November 12, 2025) signed a long-awaited government funding bill, officially ending the record-breaking 43-day federal shutdown that left hundreds of thousands of government employees without pay, disrupted travel, and strained food banks across the country.
The shutdown — the longest in U.S. history — had paralyzed key parts of the federal government, delayed paychecks for millions, and rattled ordinary Americans already grappling with inflation and economic uncertainty. For many federal workers, the end of the shutdown came as a huge relief after weeks of financial anxiety and uncertainty about when they would return to work or receive their overdue wages.
Airports across the nation had reported long security lines and multiple flight delays as TSA workers called in sick or worked without pay. Meanwhile, food assistance programs were running dry, and food banks in several cities saw record turnouts as struggling families sought help.
The political fallout in Washington was equally intense. The shutdown deepened partisan divisions, with both parties blaming each other for the impasse. President Trump, facing criticism for his handling of the crisis, defended his actions as necessary to push Democrats into negotiations. He had taken several controversial steps during the standoff, including canceling infrastructure projects and even attempting to dismiss certain federal workers to increase pressure on Congress.
“When we come up to the midterms and other elections, remember what Democrats have done to our country.”
Trump’s remarks underscored his determination to frame the shutdown as a political victory — or at least a moral one — against Democrats whom he accused of obstructing progress.
The House passed the funding measure earlier in the day by a narrow 222-209 vote, largely along party lines, just two days after the Senate had approved it. The bill will fund the government through the remainder of the fiscal year, averting another shutdown before next year’s elections.
At the heart of the dispute was a Democratic push to extend an enhanced tax credit set to expire at year’s end. The credit helps reduce health insurance costs for millions of Americans purchasing coverage through Affordable Care Act marketplaces. Democrats refused to support a short-term spending plan that excluded this provision, while Republicans insisted it was an unrelated policy issue that should be debated separately.
“They never achieve the objective that you announce. And guess what? You haven’t achieved that objective yet, and you’re not going to.”
As federal workers prepare to return to their jobs and the nation slowly returns to normalcy, one thing is clear — the bitter shutdown battle has left deep scars in Washington and beyond, and the political blame game is far from over.