Washington, D.C. — November 12, 2025: The United States government has officially reopened after a record-breaking 43-day shutdown, the longest in American history. President Donald Trump signed new funding legislation on Wednesday evening, ending weeks of halted operations and pay delays for federal workers.
“The federal government will now resume normal operations,” Trump announced during a White House ceremony, thanking several Democratic Senators who “did the right thing in voting to end this craziness.”
The bill cleared the U.S. House of Representatives earlier that day in a 222–209 vote, mostly along party lines. Six Democrats joined Republicans in supporting the bill, while two Republicans sided with Democrats to oppose it.
The Senate approved the legislation on Monday, November 10, after seven Democrats and Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine crossed party lines to vote in favor. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R–Louisiana) then reconvened Congress — for the first time since September — to finalize the measure.
What the Funding Bill Covers
According to NBC News, the package includes a “minibus” of three appropriations bills funding parts of the government through September 2026. The rest of federal operations will remain funded until January 30, 2026.
The bill also includes full funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through September — a key victory for Democrats. Over 40 million Americans depend on SNAP benefits, commonly known as food stamps.
Democrats initially refused to back the funding bill without extending an enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credit, which lowers healthcare costs. Republicans argued the issue should be debated separately, blaming Democrats for the lengthy standoff despite holding the majority in both chambers.
“While the Democrats keep voting to shut their government down, Republicans are going to vote to open it back up,” Speaker Johnson said before the final vote.
Federal Employees to Receive Back Pay
The Associated Press reported that federal employees who were fired or furloughed during the shutdown will be reinstated and receive full back pay. Additionally, the legislation protects against further layoffs through January 2026.
Air Travel and Transportation Impact
Travelers can expect delays to continue temporarily as air traffic operations recover. The Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said flight reductions of around 6% at major airports will remain until more air traffic controllers return to work.
“If the FAA safety team determines the trend lines are moving in the right direction, we’ll put forward a path to resume normal operations,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated on Wednesday.
