President Donald Trump signed legislation ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, roughly two hours after the House of Representatives voted to resume food assistance, pay federal workers, and restart the air traffic control system.
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The Republican-controlled House approved the package with a 222-209 majority, largely maintaining party unity despite strong Democratic opposition.
With Trump signing the bill, which the Senate had approved earlier in the week, federal employees will return to work starting Thursday after a 43-day shutdown, though it remains unclear how quickly full government operations and services will resume.
The law funds the government until January 30, leaving the federal budget on a path that will add approximately $1.8 trillion annually to the $38 trillion national debt.
The end of the shutdown provides critical services, particularly for air travel, the chance to recover just before the Thanksgiving holiday season, and resumes food assistance for millions of families, enabling consumer spending ahead of the Christmas shopping season.
Ending the shutdown also allows for the resumption of key economic data releases in the coming days. However, some data gaps may persist, as the White House indicated that the October jobs report and consumer price index may never be released.
Economists estimate that the shutdown reduced GDP by more than a tenth of a percentage point per week over the nearly six-week period, though most of the lost output is expected to be recovered in the coming months.
(Reuters)
