- 13 Nov 2025 - 05:00(05:00 GMT)
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For more details on the spending bill signed by US President Donald Trump to end the government shutdown, read this.
To know more about the longest government shutdown in US history, watch this Al Jazeera Fact Check.
And, for our continuing coverage of Trump’s presidency, see our dedicated page here.
- 13 Nov 2025 - 04:45(04:45 GMT)
Here is a recap of the day’s events
This live page will soon close. Here is a summary of the headlines:
- US President Donald Trump has signed a government funding bill passed earlier by the House of Representatives, effectively ending the country’s longest government shutdown.
- The legislation was passed by a vote of 222 to 209, and mostly followed party lines.
- Trump hailed the legislation, which will keep the government funded through January 30, as a “big victory” for Republicans.
- House Democrats argued that, by not addressing healthcare in the continuing resolution, Republicans failed to protect US citizens from insurance premium hikes.
- The House Oversight Committee has released a series of emails that show the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell discussing President Trump, saying he “knew about the girls”.
- The Trump administration has denounced the emails as a “hoax” and a “clear distraction”.
- Democratic Representative Adelita Grijalva has been sworn into the House of Representatives, providing a pivotal 218th signature to a petition to force a floor vote for the government to release all the Epstein files.
- 13 Nov 2025 - 04:30(04:30 GMT)
Democrat sworn in after 50-day delay decries ‘abuse of power’
Democratic congresswoman Adelita Grijalva has taken aim at the Republican Party for delaying her swearing in as the representative of Arizona’s 7th Congressional District for 50 days.
“It has been 50 days since the people of Arizona’s 7th Congressional District elected me to represent them,” Grijalva said in her first speech to Congress.
“Fifty days that over 800,000 Arizonans have been left without access to the basic services that every constituent deserves,” she said.
“This is an abuse of power. One individual should not be able to unilaterally obstruct the swearing in of a duly elected member of Congress.”
Almost immediately upon being sworn in, Grijalva added the final signature needed to prompt a vote on releasing the Epstein files.
US Representative Adelita Grijalva speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday [Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters] Advertisement - 13 Nov 2025 - 04:15(04:15 GMT)
Federal workers expected back at work on Thursday
The Reuters news agency reports that Trump’s signature on the bill means federal workers, who have been left idle by the 43-day government shutdown, should be back at their jobs starting as early as Thursday.
Around 670,000 furloughed civil servants are expected to report back to work, and a similar number who were kept at their posts with no compensation – including more than 60,000 air traffic controllers and airport security staff – will now receive back pay.
The bill also restores federal workers fired by Trump during the shutdown.
- 13 Nov 2025 - 04:00(04:00 GMT)
Most advanced democratic countries ‘don’t do government shutdowns’: Analyst
Professor of political science Jennifer Victor, of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, said Democrats were rewarded “by their base” for using their leverage to block the Republican spending bill, but shutdowns are “a terrible way to run government”.
“It would be nice if we could rewrite the rules so shutdowns were not a thing whatsoever. Most advanced democracies don’t do government shutdowns, even those that run presidential systems like the US,” Victor told Al Jazeera.
“I would anticipate that we will continue to have more shutdowns until we are able to change the rules of the game,” she said.
- 13 Nov 2025 - 03:45(03:45 GMT)
Republican co-sponsoring Epstein files release voted no on spending bill
Thomas Massie, from Kentucky, was one of two Republicans to vote with Democrats against the spending bill.
Massie is also the Republican who has been co-sponsoring a discharge petition to release the Epstein files in a rare bipartisan effort alongside Democrat Ro Khanna.
The petition secured its final needed signature earlier after Democrat Adelita Grijalva was finally sworn in, meaning the issue of releasing the files will now go to a vote next week.
Massie’s posts on social media suggest he is also splitting from his party on another issue: January 6 prosecutions.
He described as “troubling” apparent efforts to identify an FBI whistleblower regarding a January “pipe bomb investigation” in a social media post addressing FBI Director Kash Patel.
🏆 In spite of a last ditch effort by the President to foil the motion, and @SpeakerJohnson’s propaganda, the discharge petition I have been leading just succeeded! In December, the entire House of Representatives will vote on releasing the Epstein files.https://t.co/kGhb7qli8O pic.twitter.com/zZUnl5Skt2
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) November 12, 2025
- 13 Nov 2025 - 03:30(03:30 GMT)
Trump signs bill, promises affordability
Trump has now signed the spending bill, ending the shutdown, and promising affordability that was a key pillar of his 2024 re-election campaign.
“With my signature, the federal government will now resume normal operations, and my administration and our partners in Congress will continue our work to lower the cost of living, restore public safety, grow our economy and make America affordable again for all Americans again,” he said.
Trump also took a swipe at Zohran Mamdani, who won the New York City mayoral election last week, claiming that the vote for the mayor-elect reflected anger from a “far-left base” at the Democrats’ approach to the shutdown.
US President Donald Trump shows the signed bill package to reopen the federal government in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on Wednesday [Brendan Smialowski/AFP] - 13 Nov 2025 - 03:17(03:17 GMT)
Trump blames Democrats for shutdown
Trump is speaking in the Oval Office before signing the bill.
He has taken aim at Democrats for “creating the longest government shutdown in American history”.
The shutdown exceeded the previous longest shutdown, which occurred during Trump’s first presidency.
US President Donald Trump speaks ahead of signing the bill package to reopen the federal government from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on Wednesday [Brendan Smialowski/AFP] - 13 Nov 2025 - 03:15(03:15 GMT)
What’s in the compromise to end the shutdown?
The legislation passed by the House of Representatives earlier includes a reversal of the firing of federal workers by the Trump administration since the shutdown began, according to The Associated Press news agency.
It also protects federal workers against further layoffs through January and guarantees they are paid once the shutdown is over.
The bill for the Agriculture Department means people who rely on key food assistance programmes will see those benefits funded without threat of interruption through the rest of the budget year.
The package includes $203.5m to boost security for lawmakers and an additional $28m for the security of Supreme Court justices.
The biggest point of contention in the legislation was the fate of the expiring enhanced tax credit that makes health insurance more affordable through Affordable Care Act marketplaces. Without the enhanced tax credit, premiums on average will more than double for millions of Americans.
More than two million people would lose health insurance coverage altogether next year, the Congressional Budget Office projected.
It is unclear whether the parties will find any common ground on the issue of healthcare, which is expected to go to a vote in December in the Senate.
Some Republicans have said they are open to extending the COVID-19 pandemic-era tax credits, as premiums will soar for millions of people, but they also want new limits on who can receive the subsidies. Some argue that the tax dollars for the plans should be routed through individuals rather than going directly to insurance companies.
A demonstrator holds a sign in front of the US Supreme Court as arguments are heard about the Affordable Care Act in 2020, in Washington [File: Alex Brandon/AP Photo] Advertisement - 13 Nov 2025 - 03:00(03:00 GMT)
‘Hope on the horizon’ for gov’t workers to get paid, people to receive food aid
It’s going to be a bit of a slow rollout.
Employees will eventually get paid – federal employees, the 1.4 million, many of whom have been working without pay.
Federal contractors, millions of them, will not get back pay.
It’s going to take a few days, maybe a week, maybe a little bit longer, to get air traffic control back to normal in the United States.
And it could take a couple of days for the 40-plus million Americans who count on federal money to buy food that’s been cut off since the beginning of the month.
So, the federal government will release those funds, the states will then release it, so it will take time.
But, for those people who have been going without, there is now hope on the horizon.
- 13 Nov 2025 - 02:45(02:45 GMT)
Too early for Republicans to declare victory when another ‘potential shutdown’ in January: Analyst
Bruce Fein, a former US associate deputy attorney general, said it was too premature to suggest that the passage of the spending bill was a “Republican victory”.
“I think that we are going to come to January and there is going to be another potential shutdown,” Fein told Al Jazeera.
“The parties are still very, very far apart on any kind of consensus on how the budget should be allocated, especially with the programme for the medically needy and for those who need food, compared to the Republicans supporting massive tax cuts for billionaires and staggering money for the military-industrial complex,” he said.
“I don’t think the vote today is going to be the panacea for our economic travails,” he added.
US Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democrat of New York, speaks alongside Democratic members of the House of Representatives about healthcare and the planned vote to end the government shutdown during a news conference outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on November 12, 2025 [Saul Loeb/AFP] - 13 Nov 2025 - 02:35(02:35 GMT)
When will Trump sign the bill?
It’s currently just after 9:30pm local time in Washington, DC, on Wednesday (02:30 GMT, Thursday).
According to C-Span, a nonprofit public service which reports on Capitol Hill, the White House and national politics, President Trump’s signing of the spending bill could start as soon as 10 minutes from now.
We’ll bring you more soon.
President Trump to sign bill reopening government – LIVE at 9:45pm ET on C-SPAN
— CSPAN (@cspan) November 13, 2025
- 13 Nov 2025 - 02:30(02:30 GMT)
Government to reopen in coming days after Trump signs bill
We believe US President Donald Trump is going to be signing this legislation into law in very short order.
This all happened because of healthcare.
Democrats were needed in the Senate to pass a funding bill, and that was the only leverage they had to try to get Republicans to put back some health subsidies to help about 22 million people pay for health insurance.
Eventually, seven Democrats and one independent in the Senate decided that the Republicans weren’t going to come to the table.
They voted and moved it to the House.
The House has now passed it, mostly along party lines.
There were some Democrats who voted for it, a couple of Republicans who voted against it, but the bill did, in fact, pass.
- 13 Nov 2025 - 02:15(02:15 GMT)
Republican leadership slam Democrats for ‘selfish political stunt’ after vote passes
Senior Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have issued a joint statement following the passage of the bill, saying the shutdown was “finally over thanks to House and Senate Republicans” and blaming Democrats for the chaos caused to US society.
“There is absolutely no question now that Democrats are responsible for millions of American families going hungry, millions of travellers left stranded in airports, and our troops left wondering if they would receive their next paycheck,” the statement reads.
“All of it was pointless and utterly foolish. Democrats admitted they used the American people as ‘leverage’ and hurt their constituents on purpose – but they got nothing for their selfish political stunt,” the statement continues.
“Voters will remember which party played political games in an attempt to ‘look tough’ to their base, while real people suffered,” it adds.
My joint statement with Leader @SteveScalise, @GOPMajorityWhip Tom Emmer, and @HouseGOP Chairwoman @RepLisaMcClain on House passage of the government funding bill to end the Democrat Shutdown and reopen the government ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/ez6l9Rtrzh
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) November 13, 2025
- 13 Nov 2025 - 02:00(02:00 GMT)
Who voted against party lines
Six House Democrats voted in support of the bill.
They were:
- Jared Golden, Maine
- Adam Gray, California
- Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Washington
- Henry Cuellar, Texas
- Tom Suozzi, New York
- Don Davis, North Carolina
Two Republicans voted no.
They were:
- Greg Steube, Florida
- Thomas Massie, Kentucky
Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson leaves after holding a news conference after the House of Representatives passed funding legislation to reopen the federal government at the US Capitol, on November 12, 2025, in Washington, DC [Alex Wong/Getty Images via AFP] - 13 Nov 2025 - 01:32(01:32 GMT)
US shutdown in numbers
- 43 days, making it the longest in US history.
- 42 million, the number of people who had their federal food aid delayed due to the shutdown.
- 26 percent, the average amount health insurance premiums are expected to rise on average next year, unless a deal is reached, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis.
- 24 million, the number of people who use Affordable Care Act healthcare subsidies that have now ended pending a vote in December.
- 1,200, the number of flights that were cancelled as the shutdown saw air traffic controllers left unpaid.
- 13 Nov 2025 - 01:22(01:22 GMT)
House votes to end shutdown
The House of Representatives has voted to end the longest government shutdown in US history by approving the bill passed earlier by the Senate.
Here is the tally:
Yea: 222, including 6 Democrats
Nay: 209, including 2 Republicans
The bill will now go to Trump for final approval.
Advertisement - 13 Nov 2025 - 01:06(01:06 GMT)
Speaker Johnson delivers final remarks before House vote
“Let’s get this done.”
Speaker Mike Johnson took the podium to deliver the final remarks before the House’s vote on the continuing resolution, which is being decided now.
He took the opportunity to denounce his Democratic colleagues for preventing the resolution’s passage in September.
“Since that time, Senate Democrats have voted 14 times to close the government. Republicans have voted a collective 15 times to open the government for the people, and the Democrats voted that many times to close it,” he said.
He accused the Democrats of using US citizens as “leverage” in their “political game”. Democrats, however, have argued that opposing the continuing resolution was necessary to ensure healthcare premiums were addressed in the budget bill.
“They knew it would cause pain, and they did it anyway,” Johnson said of the shutdown. “The whole exercise was pointless. It was wrong, and it was cruel.”
- 13 Nov 2025 - 01:02(01:02 GMT)
The vote has started
The House of Representatives has now closed its debate on the continuing budget resolution, and it is beginning its final vote on the bill.
The resolution is expected to pass with ease along party lines in the Republican-controlled House, bringing the 42-day government shutdown to a close. Republicans hold 219 seats in the 435-member chamber.
Trump is expected to sign the bill into law later tonight, should it pass.
- 13 Nov 2025 - 00:53(00:53 GMT)
Democratic leader says party will continue fight over healthcare costs
Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries has said that the party will continue to push for relief as Americans face the prospect of surging healthcare premiums once federal subsidies expire.
“House Democrats will continue to fight to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits for tens of millions of Americans,” said Jeffries. “This fight is not over. We’re just getting started.”
The party, however, has faced scrutiny for ending the shutdown without extracting any concessions on healthcare subsidies, their stated reason for the impasse.
Seven Democrats and one independent in the Senate broke ranks with the party on Monday to pass tonight’s bill and deliver it to the House of Representatives.
Updates: Trump signs bill to end longest US government shutdown
These were the updates for Wednesday, November 12.
White House: Epstein emails ‘prove nothing’
Published On 12 Nov 2025
This live page is now closed. You can continue to follow our coverage of the Trump presidency here.
- President Donald Trump has signed legislation ending the longest government shutdown in US history after the House of Representatives passed a bill to end the funding impasse.
- Trump claimed the reopening of the federal government as a “big victory” for Republicans. He told sports network ESPN that only “people that hate our country want to see it not open”.
- Wall Street stocks rose as markets anticipated the congressional vote to reopen the government.
- Democrats released emails in which convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein suggested that Trump was aware of the late financier’s abuse and “knew about the girls”. Trump has slammed the emails as a hoax, accusing the Democrats of distracting from the shutdown.
