Longest Federal Government Shutdown in American History Ends

What Happened?

The longest federal government shutdown in American history came to an end after a record-setting forty-three days. Following the passage of a funding bill in the U.S. Senate to reopen the government, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the same bill, which was then signed into law by President Trump. 

Provisions of the bill include backpay for hundreds of thousands of furloughed federal workers, full funding for Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Programs (SNAP), and the reinstatement of thousands of civil service employees previously fired by the Trump Administration. The bill did not extend health care subsidies for the Affordable Care Act (ACA). 

Why it Matters

Even though funding has been secured to reopen the government, it will still take a few days before everything returns to normal. In the meantime, delays are still likely to be encountered by commercial air travelers until the restrictions on the number of allowable flights inside the continental United States are lifted. Federal employees should start receiving backpay for the month of October within the next week.

An estimated forty-one million SNAP recipients nationwide should now begin receiving full benefits. During the government shutdown, many SNAP recipients did not receive their monthly benefits, resulting in a substantial spike in the number of people going to food banks and other charities to obtain daily meals. 

Though ACA subsidies were not extended, Republican leaders in the Senate promised Democrats a vote would be held on new extensions after the government reopened. Since those benefits expired, health care premiums for millions of Americans have increased substantially, in some cases by more than one hundred percent. The subsidies had previously offset at least a portion of the cost of health care insurance for those who were qualified.

Both political parties tried to claim the resulting deal to reopen the government as a victory, but in reality, neither side got much of what they wanted. Democrats failed to achieve their primary goal of extending the ACA subsidies, and Republicans gave in to spending increases across the federal government that they had long opposed. 

The market responded positively to the reopening of the federal government, with stocks rising after the measure passed the U.S. House of Representatives. Even though the spending bill does reopen the government, it only provides enough funding to do so until January 30, 2026. If the underlying problems and disagreements in Congress are not resolved, another shutdown could occur after the current spending bill ends on February 1^st, 2026.

How it Affects You

The long-lasting shutdown was felt in nearly every sector of the U.S. economy, especially the aviation industry. With most campaigns for the 2026 midterm elections set to begin with the new year, the shutdown will likely be a major issue for both parties.