The longest government shutdown in US history finally ended Wednesday night, with President Donald Trump signing a bill to get the federal government back up and running.
The House had approved the funding measure just hours earlier in a 222–209 vote, breaking a grueling stalemate that left hundreds of thousands of federal workers without pay and disrupted services nationwide.
The shutdown dragged on for 43 days after starting on October 1st, pushing Washington to the brink and exposing just how deep the partisan divide over health care really is.
Trump signed the bill on camera from the Oval Office, bringing a huge sense of relief to federal employees, travelers, and millions of people who rely on government services every day.
But the deal only funds the government through January 2026, meaning this peace may not last long. With election season around the corner, Congress could easily find itself back in another showdown soon.
US shutdown: Party polarisation prolonged fight
The shutdown dragged on for so long because Democrats and Republicans were completely dug in over the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced subsidies.
Democrats were determined to keep those beefed-up tax credits in place, arguing they help millions of Americans afford health insurance.
Republicans flatly refused, saying they wouldn’t tie government funding to what they saw as a partisan health care giveaway.
The fight exposed just how fractured both parties still are on health care, an issue Congress has been wrestling with for nearly a decade.
Republicans couldn’t settle on their own alternative, and Democrats were split on whether to keep pushing or take a deal they didn’t like.
Meanwhile, federal workers bore the brunt of the seven-week stalemate.
Air traffic controllers worked without pay, food stamp recipients faced uncertainty, and travelers dealt with major flight delays as the FAA scaled back operations at 40 major airports.
The blame game only got louder as polling showed more Americans pointing the finger at Republicans for the crisis.
But beyond the politics, the whole episode highlighted a bigger problem: Washington’s growing inability to handle basic budget negotiations the way it used to.
Last-minute cross-aisle deal
The real shift came this week when eight Senate Democrats suddenly broke ranks and joined Republicans to advance a compromise bill.
It caught almost everyone off guard and signaled that moderates had decided there was no point dragging the showdown out any longer.
As part of the agreement, Democrats secured a promise for a future vote on a health care bill they’d choose.
But with Republicans controlling the chamber, there’s no guarantee that the vote will actually amount to anything.
The House moved just as quickly. Six Democrats crossed the aisle to back the measure alongside nearly every Republican.
Only two GOP members, Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Greg Steube of Florida, voted no, showing just how unified Republicans were.
The vote even ended with loud applause, a rare bit of shared relief in an otherwise deeply divided Congress.
For Speaker Mike Johnson and GOP leaders, the vote delivered exactly what they needed to avoid another immediate shutdown. For Democrats, though, it felt more like a retreat.
They’d fought hard to protect Affordable Care Act subsidies but ultimately conceded without securing firm protections.
Trump used the signing ceremony to pull health care back into the spotlight ahead of the midterms, promising to introduce a new insurance plan.
But this deal only buys Washington a little breathing room. Another funding deadline hits on January, and with the 2026 elections coming into view, Congress could easily find itself back in the same fight.
Lawmakers will have to act quickly and decisively to keep history from repeating itself.
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