WASHINGTON — The longest government shutdown in U.S. history appeared poised to end Wednesday night, Nov. 12, 2025, after 43 days, as the House of Representatives reconvened to take up a bill passed by the Senate to reopen federal agencies and programs.
House Speaker Mike Johnson called members back into session after a nearly eight-week absence, urging swift action. The House of Representatives voted Wednesday to stop the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, with millions of Americans unable to afford food and derailed travel.
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The shutdown, which began Sept. 19, 2025, left hundreds of thousands of federal workers without pay and disrupted services nationwide. Under the funding package, those workers will be compensated retroactively once they return to their jobs.
President Donald Trump called the Senate-approved bill a “very big victory” and was expected to sign it shortly after the House vote, with a White House official indicating a signature around 9:45 p.m. Wednesday would begin to resolve the crisis.
Travel disruptions persisted as flight reductions at 40 major U.S. airports remained capped at 6%, according to the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration. Thousands of flights had been canceled since the restrictions began, though plans to increase cuts to 10% by the end of the week were halted due to a “rapid decline” in air traffic controller absences.
As lawmakers debated on the House floor Wednesday night, partisan divisions underscored the deep fractures in Washington and the widespread impact of the shutdown. Johnson described the closure as “wrong and cruel” and called the entire episode “pointless,” emphasizing the need to move forward without delay.
More To Come From Associated Press.
