Is the U.S. government shutdown over? What to know about the House vote and what came next

After more than 40 days, the U.S.’s record-breaking government shutdown is finally over. On Wednesday, the House of Representatives narrowly approved a federal funding bill - with 222 votes in favor and 209 against - before President Donald Trump signed the package into law from the Oval Office.

The Senate had already cleared the proposal on Monday, reaching the required 60 votes with a 60-40 tally.

How long did the shutdown last?

The 2025 shutdown now stands as the longest in U.S. history, having lasted for 43 days. The previous record was set during the 2018-2019 standoff, which began in December 2018 and stretched for 35 days. Both shutdowns occurred under President Trump’s administration.

This year’s shutdown, which began on October 1, disrupted benefits for millions of Americans, including payments from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and left hundreds of thousands of federal employees across multiple agencies without pay.

Why did the shutdown drag on so long?

The deadlock stemmed from Congress failing to pass a resolution to fund government operations. While Republicans hold the Senate majority, they needed support from several Democrats to hit the 60-vote threshold required to advance the bill extending federal funding.

To reach a final deal, lawmakers endured weeks of negotiations and more than 10 failed votes. The Trump administration blamed Democrats for the impasse, accusing them of pushing for free healthcare for undocumented immigrants.

Democrats, however, repeatedly argued they opposed the bill because it included cuts to pandemic-era health insurance subsidies - changes that would strip millions of Americans and legal residents of medical coverage.

Currently, the Senate is made up of 53 Republicans, meaning seven Democratic votes were needed to pass the funding measure. In the end, eight Democrats crossed the aisle to join Republicans, while GOP Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky voted against the bill.

The Democratic senators who voted in favor were: Dick Durbin, Maggie Hassan, Tim Kaine, Jeanne Shaheen, Catherine Cortez Masto, John Fetterman, Jacky Rosen, and Angus King - an independent who caucuses with Democrats.

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