Trump signs bill to end record US government shutdown

Trump signs bill to end record US government shutdown
Federal operations to resume after 43 days of paralysis

President Donald Trump has signed a short-term spending bill to reopen the United States government, bringing an end to the longest shutdown in the nation’s history.

The president signed the measure into law on Wednesday night, just hours after the House of Representatives approved it by 222 votes to 209, and two days after it narrowly passed the Senate.

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said government operations would “resume normal service” after “people were hurt so badly” during the 43-day shutdown.

The shutdown, which began in early October, grounded many government services and left about 1.4 million federal employees either furloughed or working without pay. Food aid was suspended, while nationwide air travel was disrupted as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cut back operations due to staff shortages.

Lawmakers faced travel difficulties reaching Washington for the decisive vote, with Wisconsin Republican Derrick Van Orden riding his motorcycle nearly 1,000 miles to cast his ballot before the bill reached the president’s desk.

The stopgap bill will keep the government open only until January 30, when another round of funding negotiations is expected.

Trump blames Democrats

Before signing the bill, Trump blamed Democrats for the budget deadlock, accusing them of shutting down the government “purely for political reasons.”

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“When we come up to midterms and other things, don’t forget what they’ve done to our country,” he told reporters.

Democrats in the Senate, though in the minority, had initially blocked the funding bill, demanding that Republicans agree to extend health insurance subsidies for low-income Americans, which are set to expire at the end of the year.

However, eight Democratic senators broke ranks over the weekend to back the compromise deal after securing a promise for a December vote on the healthcare subsidies.

Their decision drew backlash from within the party, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and California Governor Gavin Newsom among those criticising the move.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the package “fails to do anything of substance to fix America’s healthcare crisis.”

But Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, one of those who supported the bill, defended his position, saying federal workers were “saying thank you” for reopening the government.

New face in Congress

While the budget battle raged, Democrats also welcomed Adelita Grijalva, who was sworn in as the newest member of the House of Representatives.

Grijalva, elected in September to succeed her late father, Raul Grijalva, joined her colleagues in supporting a petition to force a vote on releasing files related to late financier Jeffrey Epstein.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has pledged to schedule a vote on the matter next week.

Highlights of the spending deal

The short-term funding package includes:

• Full-year funding for the Department of Agriculture, military construction, and legislative agencies;
• Back pay for all affected federal workers;
• Extended funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) until September next year;
• A guaranteed December vote on healthcare subsidy extensions;
• Temporary government funding through January 30.

Federal offices are expected to reopen in the coming days, with air travel expected to normalise ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Trump signs bill to end record US government shutdown

BBC