Longest Government Shutdown in US History Ends After 43 Days

The federal government reopened after a 43-day shutdown, the longest in US history, eclipsing the 34-day shutdown of 2018-2019. The shutdown began October 1 after Congress failed to pass funding legislation before the start of the fiscal year, and it stretched on for more than six weeks as lawmakers remained deadlocked over spending priorities.

The House of Representatives approved the funding package that ended the standoff by a narrow 222-209 vote, and the Senate passed the measure 68-32 before President Trump signed it into law. The prolonged shutdown disrupted federal services ranging from national park operations to processing delays at federal agencies, and it left hundreds of thousands of federal workers without pay for over a month.

Economists estimated the shutdown shaved measurable growth off fourth-quarter GDP, with the drag concentrated in delayed federal contracting and reduced spending by furloughed workers during the affected weeks, though most of that lost output was expected to be recovered once government operations and back pay resumed.

The record-breaking standoff renewed debate in Washington over reforming the annual budget process, with lawmakers from both parties introducing proposals aimed at preventing future shutdowns, though none had advanced by year's end.