Following the longest shutdown in US history, the country’s federal government officially reopened. The closure lasted 43 days.
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According to CNN, the government reopened after a House of Representatives vote on a funding bill, which passed 222-209. Nearly every Republican and a group of Democrats voted for the bill.
The vote hit the floor just days after eight Democratic senators dropped their demands that the bill extend the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, which are set to lapse at the end of this year.
As part of the deal, the Senate was to vote on the enhanced subsidies in December. However, the agreement with the other side of the aisle did not guarantee that the healthcare assistance would be extended.
The new bill establishes a “funding cliff” for Congress on Jan. 30. It will also provide funding for some key agencies through the 2026 fiscal year.
President Trump Signs Funding Bill to Reopen US Government, Continues to Blame Democrats For Shutdown
President Trump reopened the US government after signing the bill. He continued to double down, blaming the Democrats for the shutdown.
“I just want to tell the American people, you should not forget this when we come up to midterms and other things,” Trump stated while in the Oval Office. “Don’t forget what they’ve done to our country.”
He also said, “Today, we’re sending a clear message that we will never give in to extortion.”
After signing the bill, Trump pledged to put forth a new health care plan in the near future. “I’m calling today for insurance companies not to be paid,” he said. “But for this massive amount of money to be given directly to the people.”
Meanwhile, the world leader once again stated that Republicans should consider eliminating the Senate filibuster to prevent another shutdown.
“If we had the filibuster terminated, this would never happen again,” he said. “And don’t forget, we have another date coming up in the not-too-distant future.”
This is the third government shutdown that the US has experienced under President Trump. The first two occurred during his first term, with the 2018-2019 shutdown lasting 35 days. Approximately 900,000 government employees were furloughed under the latest shutdown.