Trump Signs Sweeping Spending Bill to Reopen US Government, Averts Immediate Shutdown
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday afternoon signed a major spending package to restart government operations, bringing an end to a three-day partial shutdown. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said he was pleased to approve the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which restores federal operations immediately and funds most government functions for the remainder of the financial year.
“I am very happy to be signing the Consolidated Appropriations Act to reopen the federal government right away and to fund most of its operations for the rest of the fiscal year,” the president said.
According to CNN, Trump’s signature ended the funding lapse that had disrupted several key departments. However, the relief may be short-lived, as another funding deadline looms for the Department of Homeland Security in just two weeks, potentially setting the stage for fresh budget uncertainty.
The Washington Post reported that earlier on Tuesday, the US House of Representatives passed a package of spending bills aimed at ending the partial shutdown and buying time for bipartisan negotiations on new accountability measures for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Had an agreement not been reached, agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency would have faced a shutdown on February 14. ICE operations and other immigration-related efforts are currently being funded through the $170 billion allocated to Homeland Security under a Republican-backed tax and spending law passed last year.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D–New York) warned on Monday that without meaningful reforms, long-term funding could be at risk. “ICE and the Department of Homeland Security need major changes,” Jeffries told reporters. “If that doesn’t happen, the full-year appropriations bill will face serious trouble.”
The spending package passed the House by a narrow 217–214 margin. While House Democrats had earlier vowed not to assist Speaker Mike Johnson (R–Louisiana) in advancing the bill, 21 Democrats ultimately voted in favour of the final measure. At the same time, 21 Republicans voted against it, highlighting divisions within both parties.
Following the vote, President Trump praised Speaker Johnson’s role in steering the legislation through Congress. “Speaker Mike Johnson has done an incredible job,” Trump said. “He really has done outstanding work, and we appreciate it.”
While the bill has reopened the government for now, the unresolved funding questions surrounding Homeland Security suggest that Washington’s budget battles are far from over.