A US government shutdown that left federal workers unpaid, stranded many travelers at airports and caused long lines at food banks ended on Wednesday (local time) after President Donald Trump signed a funding bill into law. Trump blamed the situation on Democrats and urged voters not to support the party in next year’s midterm elections.
“So I just want to say to the American people, you shouldn’t forget that. When we get to the interim and other things, don’t forget what they did to our country,” Trump said.
The bill was signed into law just hours after the House passed it by a party-line majority of 222 to 209, after the Senate approved the measure on Monday. Before signing the bill, he mentioned, “Today we are sending a clear message that we will never back down to blackmail.” He added, “I am honored to sign this incredible bill and get our country working again.”
During the signing ceremony, the president said the shutdown had “caused enormous damage” to public services and the lives of millions of Americans. He pointed out that more than 20,000 flights have been “cancelled or delayed” because of the shutdown, one million government workers have gone without pay and food stamp benefits have been cut for “millions and millions of Americans in need.”
“The government will now resume normal operations”
“With my signature, the federal government will now resume normal operations,” Trump said, adding that his administration would continue to work with Congress to “reduce the cost of living, restore public safety and make America available again for all Americans.” The recently signed legislation, HR 5371, passed by both houses of Congress and sent to the President, ends more than six weeks of budget impasse between the White House and congressional Democrats.
The bill, officially titled Senate Amendment to HR 5371, contains a clean continuing resolution (CR) to fund most of the federal government through Jan. 30, 2026, while providing year-round funding for key areas such as agriculture, rural development, the Food and Drug Administration, military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Legislative Branch of Management and Budget, according to the Executive and Budget Office.
The statement said the bill guarantees the immediate resumption of government operations, timely payments for federal employees who have been working without pay, including flight controllers, and restores funding for essential programs that have been cut.
