U.S. Government Shutdown Ends After Historic 43 Days; Funding Restored on November 12, 2025
The longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history came to an end on November 12, 2025, after lawmakers in the House of Representatives voted to reopen government operations, and President Donald Trump signed the funding bill into law late that evening.
The shutdown began at midnight on October 1, 2025, when Congress failed to pass the appropriations legislation required to fund government agencies for the 2026 fiscal year. This stalemate triggered a 43-day closure of parts of the federal government, impacting roughly 900,000 federal employees who were furloughed and forcing another two million employees to work without pay.
Scope and Impact of the Shutdown
During the shutdown, critical government services faced disruptions or complete suspensions. Agencies like the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention experienced halted operations, while essential agencies such as the Department of Defense and the Transportation Security Administration continued functioning but faced significant operational strain.
Several federal programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, continued to operate despite the shutdown. However, nutrition assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) were adversely affected when the Department of Agriculture announced on October 27 that November SNAP benefits would not be issued due to the funding lapse.
Political Dynamics and Negotiations
The shutdown reflected broader conflicts between political parties in Congress and challenges in bipartisan negotiations. House Democrats made efforts to broker a bipartisan continuation of government funding, emphasizing the need to protect critical health care subsidies and to pass a “clean continuing resolution”—funding legislation without additional policy conditions.
Republicans in the Senate, facing internal divisions, required seven Democratic votes to advance any continuing resolution to prevent further shutdowns, creating a high-stakes political environment. After protracted negotiations, a compromise was reached and approved by the Senate with a 60–40 vote on November 10.
Following the Senate vote, the House passed the bill on November 12 by a vote of 222–209. President Trump signed the legislation into law at 10:25 PM EST that same night, officially ending the shutdown.
Significant Developments During the Shutdown
On October 25, President Trump announced a private donor would cover $130 million in military pay during the shutdown, which sparked controversy and raised legal and ethical questions under the Antideficiency Act. The donor was later identified as Timothy Mellon.
The shutdown drew strong reactions from affected federal employees, unions, and industry groups. The American Federation of Government Employees urged Congress to quickly pass funding to end the impasse. The Aerospace Industries Association warned about the shutdown’s impact on the nation’s aerospace and defense industry, emphasizing disruptions to innovation and national security.
Looking Ahead
As government operations resume, agencies face the challenge of addressing backlogs and restoring normal functioning after an unprecedented period of closure. The political divisions that contributed to the shutdown remain, prompting calls for reforms in the appropriations process to avoid similar disruptions in the future.