The longest US government shutdown in history ended on Wednesday after more than 42 days, following the House of Representatives' passage of a bill negotiated by Republicans and a splinter group of Democrat-aligned senators. President Donald Trump signed the measure into law, allowing federal operations to resume.
The compromise funds the government through January but leaves unresolved the extension of tax credits for Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) health plans, a key demand of Democrats. The House voted 222–209 in favour, with six Democrats breaking ranks to support the bill and two Republicans opposing it.
Speaking after signing, Trump said: “We’re sending a clear message that we will never give in to extortion... the Democrats tried to extort our country.” House Republican leadership blamed Democrats for the disruption, stating: “There is absolutely no question now that Democrats are responsible for millions of American families going hungry.”
Democratic minority leader Hakeem Jeffries pledged to continue fighting for the subsidies, saying: “This fight is not over... either Republicans finally decide to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits this year, or the American people will throw Republicans out of their jobs.”
The shutdown, which began on 1 October, furloughed around 700,000 federal workers. Hundreds of thousands more, including airport security screeners and active-duty military, worked without pay. The Trump administration also ordered cuts to commercial air travel and halted payments under the largest federal food aid programme, causing increased demand at food banks.
