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Originally Published in CBS7 on November 12, 2025.

The House passed a bill Wednesday to end the nation’s longest government shutdown, sending the measure to President Donald Trump for his signature after a historic 43-day funding lapse that saw federal workers go without multiple paychecks, travelers stranded at airports and people lining up at food banks to get a meal for their families.

Rep. August Pfluger reacted to the shutdown saying,

“Unfortunately, this stunt inflicted real, painful consequences on the American people, and I am furious about the unnecessary hardship it caused my constituents."

House lawmakers made their long-awaited return to the nation’s capital this week after nearly eight weeks away, with Republicans using their slight majority to get the bill over the finish line by a vote of 222-209. The Senate has already passed the measure. Trump has called the bill a “very big victory.”

Read Rep. August Pfluger’s full statement below:

"For more than six weeks, Democrats held our country hostage over demands for health care for illegal aliens, trillions in wasteful spending, and to prove to their base they could ‘stand up’ to President Trump. The irony? We are in the exact same place with the exact same deal today as we had 43 days ago. Democrats didn’t get a single one of their woke demands, proving what we already knew: the shutdown was nothing more than a reckless political stunt. Unfortunately, this stunt inflicted real, painful consequences on the American people, and I am furious about the unnecessary hardship it caused my constituents.

“While I am thankful the government is finally reopening, it is important to remember that all of this was preventable. Weeks ago, I voted to pass the same clean, nonpartisan Continuing Resolution to keep the government open that we voted on today – funding critical programs my constituents rely on like WIC, SNAP, and Child Nutrition, as well as fully funding veterans’ health care and benefits. Yet once again, the majority of House Democrats voted against it, despite voting for it 13 times under President Biden. Make no mistake: this was a vote against paying our federal workers and air traffic controllers, against supporting our veterans and troops, and against keeping essential programs running.

“Once President Trump signs this CR to reopen the government, federal workers will begin receiving back pay, specialized military trainings can resume at Goodfellow Air Force Base and Fort Hood, small business loans will start being approved again, critical programs can get back on track, and airports will return to full staffing to prevent further delays and cancellations ahead of the busy holiday travel season.

“After being home in the district working to ensure my constituents had the resources needed to navigate the chaos and care for their families, I am ready and eager to get back to Washington to govern and deliver on the mandate we were given by the American people last November. If you have questions about the government reopening, especially if you were impacted by the shutdown, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office.”