President Donald Trump formally signed the government funding bill in the White House Oval Office on Tuesday, ending a partial federal government "shutdown" that had lasted for several days and resolving the impasse that began on January 31. Earlier that day, the US House of Representatives narrowly passed the funding bill with a vote of 217 in favor and 214 against. The bill was then swiftly sent to the President for his signature; Trump had previously indicated he would "promptly approve" it and completed the signing process the same day, allowing numerous government departments to resume operations.
This funding legislation will provide financial support for agencies including the Department of Defense, the Treasury Department, the State Department, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Education until the end of the fiscal year on September 30, thereby preventing another federal shutdown due to budget shortfalls. However, the funding issue for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) remains unresolved. Due to recent controversies and protests surrounding immigration enforcement actions, the Senate removed the full-year funding arrangement for the department during deliberations; the bill only provides DHS with temporary funding for two weeks to allow Congress to continue negotiations on immigration enforcement oversight mechanisms and operational improvements.
The House voting process encountered significant turbulence. The bill nearly failed during an earlier procedural vote that day but ultimately passed by a razor-thin margin of 217 to 215, paving the way for the final vote. With Republicans holding only an extremely limited majority advantage in the House, Speaker Mike Johnson was compelled to coordinate opposition voices within his party. Some conservative lawmakers demanded that the controversial voter ID bill, the "SAVE Act," be sent to the Senate for a vote, attempting to use this as a bargaining chip for their support of the funding deal, which prompted urgent mediation by the Republican leadership on the floor.
Ultimately, Tennessee Republican Representative John Rose changed his voting stance, and other opponents gradually softened their positions, allowing the bill to advance. Although Democratic negotiators urged support for the bill, many Democratic representatives, along with some Republicans, still voted against it. New York Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries had previously stated clearly that Democrats would not assist Republicans in advancing procedural arrangements, forcing Johnson to rely solely on party unity to complete the legislative process. Johnson emphasized before the vote, "We are governing responsibly and getting the job done."
Market analysts pointed out that although this shutdown was relatively brief, it still unsettled financial market risk appetite to some extent. With the funding bill now enacted and government operations returning to normal, short-term uncertainty will be alleviated; however, subsequent negotiations concerning the Department of Homeland Security's funding arrangement and immigration policies may still emerge as new sources of political and fiscal risk for Congress.