Trump Signs Stopgap Funding Bill, Ending Longest Government Shutdown in US History

President Donald Trump signed a temporary federal funding bill at the White House on 12 November, formally bringing an end to the longest government shutdown in US history.

The move came hours after the US House of Representatives voted to pass the stopgap measure, which had been approved by the Senate earlier, taking the decisive final step to reopen the government.

The legislation was ultimately passed by the House by a vote of 222 to 209. It will provide continued funding for federal operations, allowing most government agencies to remain open until 30 January 2026.

The White House confirmed that President Trump would sign the bill that evening, enabling a full resumption of government functions.

The federal government had been partially shut down since 1 October, after the Senate failed to pass a new temporary funding bill before the previous appropriations expired. The Senate itself had approved the current bill on the evening of 10 November by a vote of 60 to 40.

By convention, Congress must pass 12 separate annual appropriations bills each year. The bill passed by the Senate on 10 November, however, contained only three of these annual appropriations, leaving nine annual budgets still unresolved.

While the temporary funding bill is in effect, negotiations between the two major parties will continue over the full-year appropriations. This situation means that in just over two months, the US federal government could once again face the threat of a partial shutdown.