United States President, Donald Trump, late Wednesday, signed a comprehensive funding package to reopen the federal government, officially ending the longest shutdown in the nation’s history.
The signing came just hours after the House approved the bipartisan deal by a vote of 222 to 209.
The agreement, reached between Republicans and centrist Senate Democrats, will keep the government funded through January and ensure key federal agencies remain operational for the rest of fiscal year 2026.
The compromise marks the end of a 43-day impasse in Congress, reversing mass layoffs ordered during the shutdown and restoring pay for federal workers. It also ensures the resumption of vital food and nutrition programs serving millions of Americans.
This legislative breakthrough followed an intense four-day push to finalize the bill after eight Senate Democrats crossed party lines to work with Republicans, concerned about the economic toll of the shutdown.
As part of the deal, Senate leaders agreed to hold an early December vote on the expiring Obamacare subsidies — a key Democratic demand during the funding standoff.
However, the vote’s prospects for success appear slim, triggering frustration among Democrats who fear higher health care premiums if the subsidies lapse.
Despite widespread opposition within their ranks, a small group of House Democrats backed the compromise.
Those who supported the bill included Reps. Jared Golden, Adam Gray, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Henry Cuellar, Tom Suozzi, and Don Davis. GOP Reps. Thomas Massie and Greg Steube voted against it.
Speaker Mike Johnson, returning to Washington for the first time since mid-September, managed to rally nearly all Republicans behind the measure, though not without internal tension. Some GOP members objected to a Senate-added provision allowing senators to sue the Department of Justice over the acquisition of phone records during a Biden-era investigation, potentially yielding large financial settlements.
Johnson admitted he was unaware of the clause until after the Senate had already passed the bill.
“I was shocked by it, I was angry about it,” the speaker said. However, he added that he did not believe Senate Majority Leader John Thune included it “in a nefarious manner.” Johnson continued, “I think it was a really bad look, and we’re going to fix it in the House.”
To placate conservative critics, Johnson pledged that the House would later vote to remove the controversial language, though it remains uncertain if the Senate would agree.
Texas Rep. Chip Roy and other conservatives denounced the clause as “self-dealing,” since it could award senators over $500,000 per instance if their lawsuits succeed.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, accused the eight senators linked to the provision of “voting to shove taxpayer dollars into their own pockets – $500,000 for each time their records were inspected.”
With the government now reopened, lawmakers face a packed schedule before year’s end. They have just four weeks to address several looming issues — including the expiration of Obamacare tax credits, the farm bill, and key energy incentives.
President Trump has called for overhauling the Affordable Care Act rather than renewing existing subsidies, setting up a major political confrontation that could shape next year’s midterm elections.
Meanwhile, Speaker Johnson must also contend with growing bipartisan momentum to release the long-sealed Jeffrey Epstein files.
Just before the funding votes began, newly elected Rep. Adelita Grijalva became the pivotal 218th lawmaker to sign a petition forcing a vote compelling the Department of Justice to release all Epstein-related documents.
Johnson later confirmed he would bring the bill to the House floor next week, ahead of schedule, despite an intense White House lobbying effort earlier in the day to dissuade Republicans from supporting the measure.
The move followed a dramatic escalation in scrutiny over Epstein’s ties. On Wednesday, House Democrats on the Oversight Committee released new emails in which Epstein repeatedly referenced Trump by name, while the GOP-led committee published 200,000 pages of documents obtained from Epstein’s estate.
