Shutdown ends as Trump signs spending bill, without extending healthcare subsidies

By Miriam Raftery

Photo via White House:  President Trump at signing ceremony

November 13, 2025 (Washington D.C.) -- President Donald Trump has signed a bill to reopen the federal government and end the longest-ever government shutdown that lasted 43 days, sidelined federal workers, delayed food aid, and snarled air travel. 

 The deal has drawn criticism for failing to assure extension of Affordable Healthcare Act premiums, which Republicans have held the line against. Health experts estimate that Americans shopping for 2026 Obamacare health insurance plans are facing more than doubling of monthly premiums on average as a result of subsidies expiring. Senate Democrats settled for a promise that the Senate would vote on a bill to extend the subsidies by the end of the second week of December, but there’s no assurance that either the  Senate or House would pass the measure.

President Trump blasted Democrats during a ceremony to sign the government funding bill. Trump accusing Democrats of trying to "extort American taxpayers" by pushing to extend health insurance subsidies, CBS News reports.

 Democrats did get some concessions in the compromise measure.

NBC News reports that the agreement contains three full-year appropriations bills that will fund certain departments, such as the U..S. Department of Agriculture through the end of the fiscal year next fall. 

 The agreement includes a continuing resolution to fund the rest of the government at existing spending levels through January 30th, and to fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, through next September. 

The Trump administration halted SNAP payments on November 1^st, even asking the Supreme Court to prohibit states from making payments for SNAP recipients to afford food.

 Reuters reports that the bill would also prohibit federal agencies from firing employees until January 30^th, which would stall Trump’s campaign to further downsize the federal workforce. 

 About 2.2 million civilians worked for the federal government at the start of Trump’s second term, according to federal records, but 300,000 employees are expected to leave the government by the end of this year due to Trump’s downsizing effort. 

Both of California’s Senators, Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, voted against the agreement.

 Padilla says, "This does nothing to stop the Republican-made health care crisis. It does nothing to stop premiums from doubling for millions of Americans." 

Schiff says the bill “had nothing to bring down the costs of care or extend healthcare tax credits."  He adds that the fight is over lowering healthcare costs for 24 million Americans, after Republicans' recent budget bill quote  "took billions and billions of dollars out of Medicaid to give tax cuts for wealthy people and corporations." 

In the House, San Diego’s four Democratic members voted against the measure, while Republican Darrell Issa voted in favor.