President Donald Trump declared victory on Tuesday as Washington moved toward ending the longest government shutdown in US history. The House of Representatives is expected to vote Wednesday on a spending bill to reopen federal agencies, following a Senate vote that saw eight Democrats side with Republicans.
Speaking at Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day, Trump congratulated Republican leaders for what he called a “very big victory,” using the solemn occasion to make political points. “We’re opening up our country — it should have never been closed,” Trump said, later adding that only those who “hate our country” would oppose reopening.
The bill, likely to pass with a narrow Republican majority, would fund the government through January, offering a temporary reprieve after six weeks of paralysis. The shutdown left a million federal workers unpaid, disrupted air travel, and threatened food assistance for low-income families as Thanksgiving neared.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that airlines might halt flights if the standoff persisted, as air traffic controllers went without pay. Polls showed public anger mounting against Trump’s party, yet it was Democrats who fractured first, giving Republicans enough Senate votes to advance the bill.
The deal has ignited fierce criticism within Democratic ranks, with figures like California Governor Gavin Newsom calling the compromise “pathetic.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer faced backlash from within his party for failing to keep Democrats united against the agreement.
The concessions collapse came despite Democratic wins in recent local elections, which had momentarily placed Trump on the defensive. Republicans, however, promised Democrats a separate vote on extending health insurance subsidies, a central issue behind the standoff.
Even within Trump’s ranks, tensions flared as former ally Marjorie Taylor Greene accused him of abandoning working families facing soaring insurance costs.