President Trump has signed a federal government spending bill into law, bringing an end to the longest government shutdown in US history. The 43-day closure, which began on October 1, had a significant impact on workers, families, and the air travel industry. As of Thursday, federal employees will return to work, but it is unclear when full government services will resume.
The new spending bill, passed by the House with a margin of 222-209 and backed by seven Democrats and one independent in the Senate, extends federal funding until January 30. While this brings an end to the shutdown, the deal has not resolved one of its central issues: health insurance subsidies for 24 million Americans under the Affordable Care Act. The Trump administration has stated that it will not renew these subsidies when they expire at the end of the year.
The end of the shutdown has been met with mixed reactions from politicians and economists. President Trump signed the bill in a ceremony late on Wednesday, claiming victory and pledging to work towards lowering the cost of living. However, his signature did little to resolve tensions between Republicans and Democrats over the shutdown.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday found that half of Americans blamed Republicans for the shutdown, while 47% held the Democrats accountable. House Speaker Mike Johnson lashed out at Democrats, calling their role in the shutdown "pointless" and "cruel." Meanwhile, a Democratic representative took aim at the funding bill, warning that it would "take food away from children" and "rip away healthcare."
Despite the end of the shutdown, some economists predict further economic challenges ahead. The new spending bill adds another $1.8 trillion to the federal government's already $38 trillion debt. By one estimate, the shutdown shaved more than a tenth of a percentage point from the US gross domestic product every six weeks.
The deal has also been met with criticism from some Democrats, including Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who called it an "empty promise." Many Democrats had preferred to keep negotiating over health insurance subsidies, feeling they had strengthened their position after several recent election wins.
The new spending bill, passed by the House with a margin of 222-209 and backed by seven Democrats and one independent in the Senate, extends federal funding until January 30. While this brings an end to the shutdown, the deal has not resolved one of its central issues: health insurance subsidies for 24 million Americans under the Affordable Care Act. The Trump administration has stated that it will not renew these subsidies when they expire at the end of the year.
The end of the shutdown has been met with mixed reactions from politicians and economists. President Trump signed the bill in a ceremony late on Wednesday, claiming victory and pledging to work towards lowering the cost of living. However, his signature did little to resolve tensions between Republicans and Democrats over the shutdown.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday found that half of Americans blamed Republicans for the shutdown, while 47% held the Democrats accountable. House Speaker Mike Johnson lashed out at Democrats, calling their role in the shutdown "pointless" and "cruel." Meanwhile, a Democratic representative took aim at the funding bill, warning that it would "take food away from children" and "rip away healthcare."
Despite the end of the shutdown, some economists predict further economic challenges ahead. The new spending bill adds another $1.8 trillion to the federal government's already $38 trillion debt. By one estimate, the shutdown shaved more than a tenth of a percentage point from the US gross domestic product every six weeks.
The deal has also been met with criticism from some Democrats, including Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who called it an "empty promise." Many Democrats had preferred to keep negotiating over health insurance subsidies, feeling they had strengthened their position after several recent election wins.
. It's got some decent points, like getting federal workers back on the clock ASAP 
, but it's still left all those health insurance subsidy issues hanging out there 
. I mean, can we please just talk about how our government debt is gonna be even more ginormous with this $1.8 trillion tacked on? 
And don't even get me started on the whole "pointless" and "cruel" thing from House Speaker Mike Johnson 
. It's like, calm down dude! Let's actually work towards solutions here... not just try to score some political points 
and now we're stuck with this huge debt 
. like, i get that the gov needs to spend money on important stuff, but $1.8 trillion more? that's crazy talk! 
But at the same time, it's not really a win for anyone because it just means more debt 
And what about those health insurance subsidies? It seems like they're gonna get cut... that doesn't seem fair to me 
. Can't we all just agree on something and move forward? 
. And what's with the health insurance subsidies? Why can't they just negotiate something better? I need credible sources to back up these claims, not just some politician's promise or poll result 
.
. Until then, I'm sticking to my sources and watching this situation closely 
.