The United States government has reopened after a record 43-day shutdown, following President Donald Trump’s signing of a short-term spending bill late on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
Naijaonpoint reports that the measure, which passed the House of Representatives by a 222–209 vote after a narrow Senate approval, restores funding to major federal agencies and allows more than 1.4 million federal workers to return to full duty with the guarantee of retroactive pay.
Speaking shortly after signing the bill, Trump insisted the prolonged standoff was the fault of the Democrats, saying they rejected earlier compromises and dragged the country through an avoidable crisis.
According to him, “They didn’t want to do it the easy way. They had to do it the hard way, and they look very bad.”
The bill, however, is only a temporary fix. It funds government operations until January 30, meaning Congress and the White House now have a limited window to negotiate a longer-term agreement.
The looming deadline has already raised concerns that another shutdown could be triggered if both sides fail to find common ground.
A major part of the deal includes a pledge from Senate leaders to hold an early December vote on Obamacare subsidies, a major demand from Democrats throughout the shutdown dispute.
The subsidy programme, which helps millions of Americans afford healthcare, had been one of the most contentious sticking points between lawmakers.
In addition to reopening the federal government, the legislation grants full-year funding to the Department of Agriculture, military construction initiatives, and several legislative branch offices.
The shutdown, which began in October, created widespread disruption across the United States. Many federal employees were either furloughed or worked without pay, leading to financial hardship and growing pressure on the White House and Congress.
Air travel across the country experienced significant delays due to staffing shortages at airports. Essential services were suspended. Food assistance programmes were left in uncertainty, raising fears among the millions who depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme.
Naijaonpoint reports that the economic and social consequences of the shutdown were felt nationwide, with federal workers staging protests, filing legal challenges, and appealing to lawmakers not to use their livelihoods as bargaining chips.
Now that government offices have reopened, attention in Washington has quickly shifted to the next hurdle. With the January 30 deadline fast approaching, lawmakers are scrambling to strike a longer-term deal that avoids a repeat of the recent standoff.
For now, federal workers are returning to their desks, agencies are resuming operations, and the country is taking stock of the economic and emotional toll of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
Whether another shutdown looms depends on the negotiations that will unfold in the coming weeks.
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