US Government Reopens After 43 Days as Trump Signs Bipartisan Funding Deal
Federal workers paid, health credit fight rages on.
President Donald Trump signed a bipartisan funding bill late Wednesday, ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history at 43 days and restoring operations across federal agencies. The legislation, passed by the House 222-209 on a largely party-line vote hours earlier, reverses worker firings, guarantees backpay, and funds three annual spending bills while extending the rest through January 30. The move alleviates immediate financial distress for 800,000 unpaid federal employees and prevents further disruptions to critical services.
The shutdown, triggered by Democratic demands to extend expiring Affordable Care Act premium subsidies, exposed deep partisan rifts. Trump blamed Democrats for prolonging the crisis, urging voters to remember their actions in next year’s midterms, while accusing them of using federal workers as leverage. House Speaker Mike Johnson echoed this, asserting Democrats knowingly inflicted pain to force policy concessions, despite Republican insistence that health care reforms belong in separate legislation.
The compromise emerged after eight senators broke ranks, concluding Republicans would not yield on linking funding to the health credit extension. The bill includes $203.5 million for congressional security, $28 million for Supreme Court justices, and protections against further layoffs through January. However, a controversial last-minute provision allows senators to sue federal agencies for unauthorized electronic record searches—potentially tied to 2020 election probes—drew bipartisan criticism, with Johnson pledging a swift repeal vote.
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Central to the standoff was the fate of enhanced ACA tax credits set to expire, which prevent premium spikes for millions. Without extension, average costs could double, and over 2 million risk losing coverage, per the Congressional Budget Office. Republicans argue the subsidies were temporary COVID measures, while Democrats, led by Hakeem Jeffries and Nancy Pelosi, vow the fight is “just getting started,” warning of GOP efforts to dismantle broader health reforms.
With government reopened, attention shifts to a promised mid-December Senate vote on the subsidies—though success remains uncertain. Some Republicans, including Sen. Susan Collins, signal openness to extension with income caps, but House Democrats express deep skepticism. As federal workers return and food banks ease lines, the bitter 43-day saga leaves Washington bracing for another high-stakes showdown.
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