After 43 long days of political gridlock, missed paychecks, and nationwide frustration, the US government is finally back in business.
President Donald Trump signed a short-term spending bill late Wednesday, ending the longest shutdown in American history.
“People were hurt so badly,” Trump admitted from the Oval Office, as he declared that the government would “resume normal operations.”
The bill, passed by the House 222-209 just hours earlier, only keeps the government open until January 30—a temporary fix to a long-term feud.
During the shutdown, 1.4 million federal workers went unpaid, airport delays mounted, and even food aid programs were frozen.
Shutdown Deal Sparks Division
The FAA had to cut air traffic due to staff shortages, just as Thanksgiving travel loomed.
The blame game was fierce. Trump accused Democrats of causing the shutdown “purely for political reasons.”
Senate Democrats argued they were fighting to protect healthcare subsidies for low-income Americans.
In the end, eight Democrats broke ranks, cutting a deal that left their party divided.
Still, the deal guarantees back pay for workers and funds food aid through next year.
A win? Maybe. But as one Capitol Hill staffer quipped, “It’s like putting a bandage on a broken leg — we’ll be right back here in January.”
