Trump signs funding bill ending 43-day government shutdown

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed a government funding bill Wednesday night that ended a 43-day government shutdown that caused financial stress for tens of thousands of unpaid federal workers, left large numbers of travelers stranded at airports across the country and caused long lines at some food banks.

The shutdown exacerbated partisan divisions in Washington, as Trump took unprecedented unilateral steps — such as canceling projects and attempting to lay off federal workers — to pressure Democrats to give in on his demands.

The Republican president blamed the situation on Democrats and suggested voters should not reward them during next year’s midterm elections.

“I just want to tell the American people that they shouldn’t forget this,” Trump said. “When we get to the midterm elections and other things, don’t forget what they’ve done to our country.”

The signing ceremony took place just hours after the House of Representatives approved the measure in a virtually party-line vote of 222 to 209. The Senate had already given the green light to the initiative on Monday.

Democrats wanted to extend an enhanced tax break set to expire at the end of the year that reduces the cost of health coverage obtained through the Affordable Care Act marketplaces. They refused to accept a short-term spending bill that didn’t include that priority. But Republicans stressed that this was a separate political dispute that would be addressed at another time.

“We told you 43 days ago, from bitter experience, that government shutdowns don’t work,” said Republican Rep. Tom Cole, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. “They never achieve the advertised goal. And guess what? They haven’t achieved that goal yet, and they’re not going to achieve it.”

A bitter end to a long stagnation

The frustration and pressures generated by the shutdown were laid bare as lawmakers debated the spending measure on the House floor.

Republicans claimed that Democrats were seeking to use the pain generated by the closure to prevail in a political dispute.

“They knew it would cause pain and they did it anyway,” declared House Speaker Mike Johnson.

Democrats said Republicans quickly passed tax cuts earlier this year that they say will primarily benefit the wealthy. But Wednesday’s bill “leaves families with no guarantee that there will ever, ever be a vote to extend tax credits to help everyday people pay for their health care,” said Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern.

Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries assured that Democrats would not give up in the fight to extend the subsidy, even if the vote did not go in their favor.

“This fight is not over,” Jeffries stressed. “We are just getting started.”

The House of Representatives had not been in session since Sept. 19, when it approved a short-term measure to keep the government open for the start of the new budget year in October. Johnson sent lawmakers home after that vote and left the responsibility to the Senate to act, noting that Republican representatives had already done their job.

What does the bill include?

The initiative is the result of a deal reached by eight senators who broke ranks with Democrats after concluding that Republicans would not budge on using a government funding bill to extend health care tax credits.

The deal funds three annual spending bills and extends the rest of the government funding through Jan. 30. Republicans have promised to hold a vote in mid-December on extending health care subsidies, but there is no guarantee of success.

The bill includes reversing the government’s layoff of federal workers since the shutdown began. It also protects federal workers from further layoffs through January and ensures they receive their pay once the shutdown ends. For the Department of Agriculture, the measure means that people who depend on food assistance programs will receive their benefits without risk of interruption for the rest of the budget year.

The package includes $203.5 million to strengthen the security of legislators and an additional $28 million for the security of Supreme Court justices.

Democrats also attacked the bill’s wording, which would give senators the opportunity to sue whenever a federal agency or employee searches their electronic records without notifying them, allowing for compensation of up to $500,000 for each violation.

The wording appears to be aimed at helping Republican senators seek compensation in case the FBI analyzes their phone records as part of an investigation into Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss. The provisions came under fire from some Republicans. Johnson said he was “very angry about it.”

“That was included at the last minute, and it doesn’t seem like it to me, nor does it seem like it to most members of the House,” Johnson stressed, promising a vote on the matter as early as next week.

The biggest point of contention, however, was the fate of the tax credit that makes health insurance premiums more affordable.

“It’s a subsidy to a subsidy. Our friends added it during COVID,” Cole stated. “COVID is now behind us. They set a certain date for the subsidies to expire. They chose the date.”

Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi said the tax credit was intended to give more people access to health care, and no Republicans voted in favor of it.

“All they’ve done is try to eliminate access to health care in our country. The country is realizing it,” Pelosi said.

Without the tax credit, the average price of premiums will more than double for millions of Americans. More than 2 million people would lose their health insurance coverage entirely next year, according to Congressional Budget Office projections.

Health care debate

It’s unclear whether the parties will find common ground on the health care issue before the Senate’s December vote. Johnson has said he will not commit to bringing the matter before his chamber.

Some Republicans have said they are open to extending tax credits implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic as premiums will skyrocket for millions of people, but they also want new limits on who can receive the subsidies. Some argue that public funds that finance the plans should be channeled through individuals, rather than going directly to insurers.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins, chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke Monday in favor of extending the tax credits as long as some changes are included, such as new income limits. Some Democrats have been open to that idea.

Democratic representatives expressed enormous skepticism that the Senate’s efforts would lead to a breakthrough.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said Republicans have wanted to repeal health care reform for the past 15 years. “That’s where they want to go,” he said.

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Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.

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This story was translated from English by an AP editor with the help of a generative artificial intelligence tool.