House approves funding bill to end longest US government shutdown

The U.S. House of Representatives approved a funding bill late Wednesday, officially bringing an end to the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. President Donald Trump is expected to sign the funding package immediately to officially reopen the government, though it is anticipated that the return to normal operations will take some time, CNN reports.

Following the vote in the House, both chambers of Congress have now voted to conclude the record-breaking federal closure. The bill, which provides temporary funding relief until the end of January, passed in the House with 222 votes "for" and 209 "against."

The House received the bill from the Senate, which had approved the measure on Monday evening.

Returning to Washington for the first time since mid-September, nearly all House Republicans, along with a handful of Democrats, voted for the bill. The legislation sets a new deadline for the funding crisis, January 30.

Significantly, the bill shields some critical programs affected by the recent impasse from future political struggles by ensuring funding for several key agencies until the end of the 2026 fiscal year. The vote in both chambers followed a record period of 43 days of shutdown.

Trump to Sign Bill Before Cameras

The White House announced Wednesday evening that President Donald Trump will sign the government funding bill in front of the press cameras in the Oval Office at 9:45 p.m. local time.

The ceremony was officially added to the President's daily schedule. The White House had initially planned a private dinner that would have been covered by a small pool of press, but that event was canceled in favor of media access to the Oval Office for the signing of the bill that will reopen the federal government.