A prolonged and politically grueling chapter in American history is nearing its conclusion. The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the new government spending bill, paving the way for the official end of the longest government shutdown on record, now clocking in at 43 days.
The House approved the Senate Amendment to H.R. 5371, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026, with a vote of 222 in favor and 209 against. The legislation will now immediately head to the desk of President Donald Trump.
Trump Scheduled to Sign Tonight
The White House quickly confirmed the final step, sending an update to the press pool on Wednesday evening that President Trump will sign the bill at 9:45 p.m. ET tonight at the Oval Office. Once the President signs the legislation, it will officially end the shutdown, which began on October 1, 2025.
The Breakdown of the Deal
The shutdown was initially triggered on September 30 by a failure between Republicans and Democrats to agree on the inclusion of Affordable Care Act (ACA) health-tax credits in the spending package. Experts have warned that the expiration of these credits in December would make health insurance significantly more expensive for millions of Americans.
The deadlock finally broke on Sunday in the Senate. Eight moderate Democratic Senators—Catherine Cortez Masto, Dick Durbin, John Fetterman, Tim Kaine, Maggie Hassan, Jacky Rosen, Jeanne Shaheen, and Angus King (I)—broke with their party to support an amended version of the spending bill.
In exchange for their support, these Senators secured a guarantee for a discussion and floor vote on extending the expiring health tax credits by mid-December, effectively moving the core fight to a later date.
Key Provisions of H.R. 5371
The bill, as amended and passed by both chambers, includes several key measures:
- Temporary Funding: It provides a clean Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund most federal government operations at current levels through January 30, 2026.
- Full-Year Funding: It includes three full-year appropriations bills, ensuring funding through the end of the fiscal year for essential services like Agriculture/FDA, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction/Veterans Affairs (VA).
- Federal Workers: The bill guarantees that federal employees who were furloughed or worked without pay during the shutdown will receive retroactive pay. It also contains provisions to reverse and prohibit mass layoffs or “reductions in force” threatened by the administration during the crisis.
The House Vote Dynamics
The House vote saw an unusual split along party lines, underscoring the political difficulty of the compromise:
- Democrats for the Bill: Six Democratic Representatives broke with their party and voted in favor of the spending bill: Jared Golden, Adam Gray, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Don Davis, Henry Cuellar, and Tom Suozzi.
- Republicans Against the Bill: While almost all Republicans voted in favor of the bill, three Republicans reportedly voted against the final measure, likely due to fiscal conservative concerns over government spending.
The resolution sets the stage for the next major budget showdown in January 2026, with the immediate focus shifting to the promised December vote on extending the critical ACA health-tax credits.