U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a bill ending the 43-day federal government shutdown—the longest in the country’s history. The new legislation funds most public institutions only until January 30, 2026, signaling that another budget standoff could emerge early next year. Federal employees are expected to return to work on Thursday, but a full restoration of government operations may take anywhere from several days to even a few weeks.
The shutdown had a substantial impact on the economy. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the six-week suspension of federal activities will reduce real GDP growth this quarter by 1.5 percentage points. Although some of the losses will be offset next year as government programs resume, many consequences were immediate: food assistance payments (SNAP) for millions of households were halted, thousands of flights were canceled, and key macroeconomic data—including the October employment and inflation reports—were not released.
Budget disruptions also affected the private sector and households. Airlines such as Delta Air Lines warned that the shutdown would hurt their financial results. SNAP benefits may be delayed by up to a week due to technical constraints, and federal workers are expected to receive their back pay only this coming Saturday.
The political dimension remains tense as well. The bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 222 to 209. Most Democrats opposed the legislation because it did not include an extension of Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance subsidies. Donald Trump declared the end of the shutdown a victory for Republicans, though its impact on the 2026 congressional elections remains uncertain. Meanwhile, centrist Democrats faced criticism over their stance on healthcare, deepening divisions within the opposition.
Amid political and economic uncertainty, investors flocked to precious metals—particularly silver, whose price climbed above $54 per ounce on Thursday, rising more than 1.5% and approaching last month’s all-time high of $54.485. Over the past week, silver gained roughly 12%, making it one of the strongest-performing assets in recent days.
Several factors contributed to the surge. Beyond global uncertainty, markets are anticipating potential Federal Reserve interest rate cuts in response to signs of weakening labor conditions. Demand for silver is also being boosted by the start of the Indian wedding season and speculation that the U.S. may impose tariffs on silver, similar to earlier measures targeting copper. Silver’s importance increased further after the U.S. Department of the Interior added it—alongside copper and metallurgical coal—to the list of “critical minerals.” This designation recognizes silver as vital to the economy and national security and could justify trade measures previously applied to copper.
