Government reopens after 43-day shutdown; fights loom

Congress ended a record 43-day shutdown, reopening the federal government — but the reprieve is temporary, and the political disputes that triggered the standoff are far from settled.

What Happened

After weeks of gridlock, the Senate approved a compromise on November 10, 2025, with a 60–40 vote. Two days later, the House returned from an extended recess and passed the bill 222–209, sending it to the White House. President Donald Trump signed the package on November 12, 2025, formally ending the shutdown that began on October 1 — the longest in U.S. history at 43 days.

The deal keeps most federal agencies operating on stopgap funding and provides full-year appropriations for a handful of departments, including Agriculture, Veterans Affairs and the legislative branch. It restores back pay for federal workers and restarts key services that had slowed or halted during the impasse, from airport operations to food assistance administration.

Unfinished Fights

Even as offices reopen, the core dispute over health coverage remains unresolved. Democrats sought to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act premium subsidies that expire at year’s end; that provision was excluded from the final bill, with only a promise of a Senate vote in December. The ACA subsidies extension was left out, and the outcome of any December vote is uncertain.

Other flash points linger. Lawmakers are already debating a Senate-added provision that would allow senators to seek damages if their communications were accessed without notice — language House leaders say they may try to strip in follow-on legislation. Meanwhile, food aid advocates welcomed the agreement’s protections for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program after weeks of legal wrangling and delayed payments.

What’s Next

The clock is ticking again. Funding runs only through January 30, 2026, setting up another deadline that could revive shutdown threats if broader spending bills stall. Between now and then, appropriators must finish the remaining annual measures, negotiate over health subsidies, and decide how to handle contentious policy riders.

For millions of Americans — from federal workers awaiting back pay to families reliant on SNAP — the reopening brings immediate relief. But the larger budget and policy fights that drove the crisis have merely been postponed. Expect a fast-moving December focused on health subsidies, followed by a sprint in January to avert a sequel.

Sources

• Trump signs deal to end longest US government shutdown in history — Reuters (November 12, 2025)
• President Trump signs government funding bill, ending shutdown after a record 43-day disruption — Associated Press (November 13, 2025)
• How every House member voted on the bill to reopen the government — Washington Post (November 12, 2025)
• US Senate passes bill to end government shutdown, sends to House — Reuters (November 10, 2025)
• Good news: The government is open. Bad news: The problems aren't ending. — Business Insider (November 13, 2025)