The Latest: Longest government shutdown in US history ends after 43 days as Trump signs funding bill

President Donald Trump signed a government funding bill Wednesday night, ending a record 43-day shutdown that caused financial stress for federal workers who went without paychecks, stranded scores of travelers at airports and generated long lines at some food banks.

Before signing the legislation, Trump said the government should never shut down again, adding, “This is no way to run a country.”

Trump’s signature draws to a close the second government shutdown he’s overseen in the White House, one that magnified the partisan divisions in Washington as his administration took unprecedented unilateral actions -- including canceling projects and trying to fire federal workers -- to pressure Democrats into relenting on their demands.

The signing ceremony came just hours after the House passed the measure on a mostly party-line vote of 222-209. The Senate had already passed the measure Monday.

The Latest:

‘This is no way to run a country’

In lengthy remarks before affixing his name, Trump said, “It’s an honor now to sign this incredible bill.”

He said the government should never shut down again, adding, “This is no way to run a country.”

Trump was surrounded in the Oval Office by Republican lawmakers and some former members of Congress who are now heading powerful business lobbying groups.

His signature drew applause, but Trump didn’t answer questions on the Epstein scandal or any other topic before the press was hustled out.

The government shutdown is over

Trump signed the government funding bill Wednesday night, drawing to a close the second government shutdown he’s overseen in the White House.

The signing ceremony came just hours after the House passed the measure on a mostly party-line vote of 222-209. The Senate had already passed the measure Monday.

The timeline for SNAP benefits remains uncertain, even after Congress agrees to end the shutdown

Congress has taken a major step toward reopening the government, but there’s still uncertainty about when all 42 million Americans who receive SNAP food aid will have access to their full November benefits.

One provision in the bill that would reopen the government calls for restarting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, but even that doesn’t resolve when the benefits will be loaded onto the debit cards beneficiaries use to buy groceries.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which runs the program, said in an email Wednesday that funds could be available “upon the government reopening, within 24 hours for most states.” The department didn’t immediately answer questions about where it might take longer.

Johnson calls ACA subsidies a ‘boondoggle to insurance companies’

He says the health care tax credits that Democrats want to extend “rob the taxpayer.”

The Affordable Care Act tax credits expire at the end of the year, meaning premiums could rise for millions of people who buy their insurance off ACA marketplaces. Democrats have kept the government shut down for 43 days in an effort to get Republicans to negotiate with them on the issue.

Johnson’s criticism came shortly after the House voted to reopen the government without extending the subsidies, sending the bill to Trump. Senate Majority leader John Thune promised Democrats a mid-December vote on the issue, but Johnson has declined to say whether he will put it up for a vote.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do on that,” Johnson said. “Republicans would demand a lot of reforms.”

Speaker Johnson ‘very relieved’ after vote to end government shutdown passes

The Republican lambasted Democrats for the historically long government shutdown, saying they used the “American people as leverage in this political game.”

“Voters are going to remember which political party played games with their life,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson.

Trump expected is expected to sign the spending bill at 9:45 p.m. EST in the Oval Office.

“We feel very relieved. Tonight, the Democrats’ shutdown is finally over,” Johnson said.

House passes bill to end historic government shutdown, sending measure to Trump

Republicans used their slight majority to get the bill over the finish line by a vote of 222-209.

The historic 43-day funding lapse saw federal workers go without multiple paychecks, travelers stranded at airports and people lining up at food banks to get a meal for their families.

Democrats wanted to extend an enhanced tax credit expiring at the end of the year that lowers the cost of health coverage obtained through Affordable Care Act marketplaces. They refused to go along with a short-term spending bill that did not include that priority. But Republicans said that was a separate policy fight to be held at another time. They eventually prevailed, but only after the shutdown took an increasing toll on the country.

“We told you 43 days ago from bitter experience that government shutdowns don’t work,” said Rep. Tom Cole, the Republican chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. “They never achieve the objective that you announce. And guess what? You haven’t achieved that objective yet, and you’re not going to.”

Flight reductions to stay at 6% at 40 major US airports

The reductions had been planned to rise to 10% by the end of the week, but the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration said the 6% limit will remain since there are more air traffic controllers coming to work.

The agencies said the decision follows recommendations from the FAA’s safety team, after a “rapid decline” in controller callouts. The limit will stay in place while officials assess whether the air traffic system can safely return to normal operations, the agencies said.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said safety remains their top priority and that all decisions will be guided by data.

Thousands of flights have been canceled since the restrictions took effect last Friday. The FAA originally planned to ramp up flight cuts from 4% to 10% of flights at the 40 airports.

Speaker Johnson says ‘we’re not going to waste any more time’ as House shutdown vote begins

Voting in the House on a funding bill that would end the government shutdown has begun after Speaker Mike Johnson made quick remarks.

“We need to get this government open as soon as possible, and I’m going to yield back the remainder of my time so we can do that,” Johnson said.

37 are donors helping pay for Trump’s $300 million White House ballroom

Trump says his $300 million White House ballroom will be paid for “100% by me and some friends of mine.”

The White House released a list of 37 donors, including crypto billionaires, charitable organizations, sports team owners, powerful financiers, tech and tobacco giants, media companies, longtime supporters of Republican causes and several of the president’s neighbors in Palm Beach, Florida.

It’s incomplete. Among others, the list doesn’t include Carrier Group, which offered to donate an HVAC system for the ballroom, and artificial intelligence chipmaker Nvidia, whose CEO, Jensen Huang, publicly discussed the donation.

A senior White House official said the list has grown since it was first released in October, but some companies don’t want to be publicly named until required to do so by financial disclosure regulations. No foreign individuals or entities were among the donors, according to the official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details that haven’t been made public.

▶ Read more about the divulged donors here

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— By Will Weissert

Members of Congress to hold press conference next week with victims of Jeffery Epstein

The victims will appear on Capitol Hill next Tuesday for a press conference alongside Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who have co-sponsored a petition which would force a vote on a bill that would require the Justice Department release all files related to Epstein.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, one of the only Republicans to support the petition, will also attend.

Jeffries speaks in opposition of bill to end shutdown as final passage nears

The Democrats’ leader in the House vowed that “the fight is not over” ahead of the chamber’s vote on a funding bill that would end the government shutdown.

“We’re just getting started. We’ll fight today. We’ll fight tomorrow,” said Jeffries. “We’ll fight until we win this battle for the American people.”

Jeffries and most House Democrats have spoken out against the bill due to it not extending Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire at the end of the year.

In New Hampshire, Sen. Chris Murphy describes lessons of shutdown fight

The Connecticut senator says two lessons have emerged during the government shutdown: The job of Democrats is to fight, and victory will involve pain and sacrifice.

Murphy, one of the most vocal Democrats opposing the compromise legislation to reopen the government, spoke at a town hall meeting in New Hampshire on Wednesday night. He said showing Americans who Trump really is will involve an uncomfortable level of confrontation. And he urged his caucus to learn from Civil Rights movement figures who endured being jailed and beaten.

“What they were trying to do is show the regime that their willingness to endure pain was greater than the regime’s willingness to impose it,” he said. “If you allow this president to weaponize our compassion against us permanently, it just emboldens him.”

Though photos of them hung on the wall around him, Murphy didn’t mention New Hampshire Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, who were among the Democrats who broke ranks to back the compromise.

Trump plans to sign legislation to reopen government

The White House released an updated schedule with the president signing the funding bill at 9:45 p.m. ET in the Oval Office.

Justice Department opinion says personnel involved in boat strikes not vulnerable to prosecution

A Justice Department legal opinion says U.S. military personnel would not be vulnerable to prosecution if they’re involved in the fatal strikes against alleged drug boats in South America, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The people spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose details from the opinion. The Washington Post first reported those details Wednesday.

The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel drafted the classified opinion. It comes as human rights groups and others have raised concerns about the strikes violating international law.

U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk recently urged the U.S. to “take all measures necessary to prevent the extrajudicial killing of people aboard these boats” and said he believes the attacks violate international human rights law.

When asked about the opinion, a Justice Department spokesperson said the strikes “were ordered consistent with the laws of armed conflict, and as such are lawful orders. Military personnel are legally obligated to follow lawful orders and, as such, are not subject to prosecution for following lawful orders.”