The longest shutdown in US history has ended.

Donald Trump signed the government funding bill, ending the longest government shutdown in the country's history. The shutdown affected millions of Americans, writes NPR.

The bill, despite a slim Republican majority in the House, passed the evening of November 12. Six Democrats joined their Republican colleagues to push the bill through 43 days into the shutdown: Henry Cuellar (Texas), Don Davis (North Carolina), Adam Gray (California), Jared Golden (Maine), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Washington), and Tom Suozzi (New York).

Two Republicans, Thomas Massie (Kentucky) and Greg Steube (Florida), voted against. The final vote was 222 in favor and 209 against.

On the subject: Air traffic controllers are working for food: They are not receiving a salary due to the shutdown, but airlines are feeding them lunches.

Shortly after the vote, the President signed the bill. At the signing ceremony in the Oval Office, he blamed the Democrats for the shutdown.

"It was a simple extension, but they didn't want to do it the easy way," Trump said. "They wanted to do it the hard way."

The bill extends last year's spending levels for most government agencies until the end of January and provides funding for some agencies until the end of next September, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments. This program, which provides food assistance to nearly one in eight Americans, has been blocked by lawsuits due to the government shutdown.

The document, among other things, includes a provision to reverse layoffs carried out by the Trump administration during the shutdown, provides for the payment of back wages to federal employees, and introduces protections against new layoffs.

But the key issue at the heart of the entire shutdown—extending subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, which are set to expire at the end of the year—is not addressed in the law.

As part of a bipartisan agreement reached with senators, Senate Republican Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) agreed to hold a vote in mid-December on a Democratic bill aimed at extending those subsidies.

Many Senate Democrats met this with skepticism, including Senator Tammy Baldwin (Wisconsin), who voted against it.

"A handshake agreement with my Republican colleagues to reopen government without a guarantee of cost reductions is not enough," said Sen. Tammy Baldwin (Wis.), who voted against it.

Even if the December bill extending the subsidies passes the Senate, it still faces consideration in the House of Representatives. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has not guaranteed he will bring the measure to a vote.

Many losses, little gain

Historically, government shutdowns have never been an effective tool for advancing a party's political goals. The past six weeks have confirmed this.

The Senate Democrats' decision not to fund the government until October 1 was partly motivated by a desire to be a strong opposition party. Democrats stated they would not approve funding until Republicans agreed to extend subsidies for health insurance buyers under the Affordable Care Act.

This decision came after key Democrats, particularly Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, voted with Republicans in March to avoid a shutdown. This angered party loyalists, who demanded that Democrats use their limited influence to force Republicans to negotiate.

Citing rising insurance premiums and expiring subsidies, Senate Democrats held their ground during the October shutdown, hoping that their decisiveness, coupled with the harm to millions of Americans, would force Republicans to the negotiating table.

However, the strategy didn't work. Republicans refused to give in and continued to regularly bring government funding bills to the floor for votes.

Meanwhile, 42 million Americans participating in SNAP were not receiving the food assistance they were entitled to. Air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration employees went without pay, forcing the Federal Aviation Administration to reduce flights. Millions of federal workers were left without pay.

The group of seven Democrats and one independent senator who voted to end the shutdown acknowledged that waiting any longer would not have yielded results.

"There was no guarantee that waiting would produce a better outcome, but there was a guarantee that it would cause suffering for ordinary people," said Sen. Tim Kaine (Va.).

Ultimately, the shutdown ended, but the key issue of extending subsidies remained unresolved. Democrats are left defending the "handshake deal" they previously considered insufficient.

John Thune's agreement with Democrats is consistent with his previous statements that Republicans are willing to discuss extending subsidies only after funding the government is restored.

Representative Jared Golden (Maine), one of six Democrats who sponsored the bill, believes the health care issue can still be resolved.

"Congress still has the opportunity to pass bipartisan legislation to extend the ACA tax credit," he assured. "In September, I joined a bipartisan coalition that proposed extending the credit for one year, and now that the shutdown is over, I urge both parties to return to negotiations to finish this work."

Another factor that was unfavorable for the Democrats was the president himself. Previously, Trump had frequently interfered with Republican strategy in Congress, but during the shutdown, he adopted a wait-and-see approach and allowed Thune to lead the party's strategy. He resisted calls from Democrats who repeatedly asked where "the great negotiator Trump" was.

What's next

Both parties now have important decisions to make that could impact their political prospects next year.

Senate Democrats have about a month to draft a bill to extend ACA subsidies that can win the support of enough Republicans.

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read it all on ForumDaily New York

If they succeed, they will begin 2026 with a political victory that will influence their campaign message for the Senate midterm elections. If Republicans reject the bill, Democrats will be left with a strong campaign issue: health care.

Some Republicans have expressed willingness to consider extending the subsidies, but want to add anti-fraud measures and income limits.

Furthermore, both parties must keep in mind that the current government funding is only extended for a few months. Congress must pass nine more appropriations bills before the temporary funding expires.

Read also on ForumDaily:

The shutdown could end this week: Republicans and Democrats have reached an agreement.

The 2025 shutdown broke all records: it became the longest in US history.

Americans will receive only half of their food stamp benefits in November: The White House has tapped into its emergency fund.

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