Washington: The United States has ended the longest government shutdown in its history after the House of Representatives approved a funding deal that President Donald Trump has now signed into law. The shutdown lasted 43 days and caused widespread disruption across federal services.

The House passed the bill with a 222 to 209 vote after the Senate cleared it earlier. The measure temporarily funds the government until January 30 next year, giving lawmakers only a short window to negotiate a long term agreement.

The shutdown had forced hundreds of thousands of federal employees to work without pay or stay at home. With the deal now in place, workers will receive back pay, although many government programmes had already faced delays. Food assistance services and routine federal operations had also been affected.

Economists estimate that the shutdown cost the country billions of dollars in lost output and delayed economic data releases. Some important reports, including key labour and inflation data, had to be postponed during the funding lapse.

A major debate continues over health insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. The new agreement only guarantees a future vote on extending the subsidies and does not ensure they will be kept. This issue is expected to become a major political battle in the coming weeks.

Polls during the shutdown showed Americans divided on who was responsible, with both major parties facing criticism for the gridlock. The prolonged standoff has renewed concerns about deepening political divisions in Washington.

Lawmakers now have until late January to negotiate a full year budget. If no compromise is reached, the country could once again face the risk of another government shutdown.