WASHINGTON (FN) — Federal agencies across the United States began reopening Thursday after President Donald Trump signed a temporary funding bill late Wednesday night, ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
The 43-day partial shutdown, which began on October 1, 2025, surpassed the previous record of 35 days set in 2019. It left more than 1.2 million federal workers furloughed or working without pay, disrupted public services, and strained the nation’s economy. The stopgap measure funds the government through January 30, 2026, giving lawmakers less than two months to negotiate a longer-term agreement.
“Government is back open,” said White House Press Secretary Sarah Matthews. “The president signed the bill to ensure federal workers return to their jobs and essential services resume immediately.”
The funding bill passed both chambers of Congress earlier Wednesday with bipartisan support after weeks of stalled negotiations. The breakthrough came amid mounting pressure from federal employee unions, business leaders, and public outcry over the shutdown’s toll on families and services.
The shutdown stemmed from a standoff over healthcare subsidies and budget caps, with the White House demanding cuts to Affordable Care Act provisions and Democrats refusing to budge. The impasse led to the closure of national parks, delays in food assistance programs, halted passport processing, suspended immigration hearings, and backlogged tax filings at the IRS.
Federal workers began returning to offices Thursday morning, with the Office of Personnel Management confirming that agencies were instructed to resume normal operations. Back pay for furloughed employees is expected to be processed within the next two pay cycles. However, many workers say the financial strain will linger. “I had to borrow money to pay rent,” said Carla Jenkins, a furloughed IRS analyst in Maryland. “That stress doesn’t just go away.”
The Congressional Budget Office estimated a 12 billion dollars hit to GDP, with ripple effects across air travel, agriculture, small business contracting, and federal procurement. Contractors, many of whom are not eligible for back pay, have warned of long-term damage to their operations.
President Trump blamed Democrats for the delay, calling the shutdown “a necessary stand against reckless spending.” Democratic leaders countered that the administration’s refusal to compromise prolonged the crisis unnecessarily. Key negotiators included Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries, who urged swift passage of the stopgap to prevent further harm.
Public sentiment turned sharply against the shutdown in its final weeks. A Gallup poll showed 68% of Americans disapproved of the government’s handling of the impasse. International observers expressed concern over the reliability of U.S. institutions, especially with State Department operations and Treasury communications disrupted.
With the government now temporarily funded, lawmakers face renewed urgency to craft a long-term spending plan before the January deadline. “This cannot happen again,” Schumer said. “The American people deserve stability, not shutdowns.”
