U.S. Government Shutdown Nears End After 40 Days as Senate Passes Key Funding Bill

The 40-day federal American government shutdown that started on October 1, 2025 is finally coming to its end. The Senate voted 60–40, on a procedural motion, to proceed with Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026 (H.R. 5371), on November 9 (U.S. time). The measure had bipartisan support with eight Democratic senators voting against their party. The Republican-dominated House has already voted the bill and now it will be passed during this week.

The Last Moves towards Solution

Assuming that the timeline does not change, the Senate will vote the last on November 11, and the House will vote on the confirmation on November 12. President Donald Trump has already publicly voiced his support of the measure and a prompt signing is expected once it gets to his desk. Officially, once enacted on time, the shutdown will last 43 days, one of the longest in the history of the United States, in comparison with the 35 days the country shut down in 20182019.

The H.R. 5371 bill grants the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Agriculture a fourteen-month funding period and prolongs the funding of all other agencies until January 30, 2026. Renews SNAP (food assistance) benefits to September 2026, which there is a risk of them becoming delayed, overruled by federal judges on October 31, 2025. Binds Congress to vote on medical subsidy programs in December 2025.

Bill conomic and Political Effect

Over 1 million federal employees have since October 1 been without paid jobs and this has put a burden on families throughout the country. The provision of guaranteed back pay will alleviate the burden, whereas extensions of SNAP will ensure the benefits of 42 million of Americans. The bipartisan vote is trying to provide a bipartisan moment of unity in politics. Analysts observe that the move might remake the mood going into the 2026 midterm elections, as voters grow weary of the long-term political squabbles.

Assuming that President Trump signs the bill, as anticipated, the 2025 shut down will end officially by November 12 and it will be 43 days of interrupted operations, postponed paychecks, and discontinued services. The move brings back the work of the government, opens up government programs and a turning point in the fiscal battle between Washington.