The US House of Representatives has passed a bill to end the government shutdown, which was the longest in US history. The bill, signed by President Trump, funds the government through January 30, 2026. Six Democrats joined Republicans in the vote, while eight Senate Democrats also broke ranks to support reopening.
The federal government entered a shutdown on October 1 over a dispute concerning health tax credits under the Affordable Care Act, which Democrats sought to extend into next year. After weeks of bitter finger-pointing, and as federal employee layoffs and flight cancellations mounted, eight Senate Democrats broke ranks and voted with Republicans on Monday to reopen the government.
Many prominent Democrats condemned their colleagues for siding with “MAGA extremists” in both chambers. “We saw capitulation and a betrayal of working Americans. The American people need more from their leaders,” California Governor Gavin Newsom wrote on X.
The dissenting Democrats defended their actions, arguing that the layoffs were hurting ordinary Americans. “Staying in shutdown mode was not getting us anywhere,” Senator Jeanne Shaheen said. Ahead of the House vote, Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, another Democrat who broke ranks, said that “the fight to stop runaway health insurance premiums won’t be won by holding hungry Americans hostage.”
Trump, who has blamed Democrats for more than 40 days of disruption, said the shutdown had made them “look very bad” as he signed the bill to reopen the government.