U.S. President Donald Trump announced Friday that he and congressional leaders have reached a deal to reopen the government for three weeks and end the longest U.S. funding lapse ever.
In remarks at the White House, Trump said he hopes to sign the measure as soon as Friday, the 35th day of the partial shutdown. It would restart government operations through Feb. 15 — without the money he has demanded to build his proposed border wall. In a statement after Trump spoke, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he hoped to pass legislation reopening the government and send it to the House on Friday.
Both major parties will set up a conference committee to put together a Homeland Security Appropriations bill once the government reopens. However, Trump threatened to let the government shut down again — or declare a national emergency to bypass Congress — if lawmakers do not reach a border security deal he likes.
The deal would end an episode — for now — that has affected millions of American lives, sapped economic growth and cut into Trump’s popularity. The agreement comes as the shutdown left hundreds of thousands of workers scrambling to cover meals and bills and caused disruptions in various government services.
The pain from the closure sharpened on Friday. About 800,000 federal workers started to miss their second paycheques since funding lapsed on Dec. 22. A shortage of air traffic controllers — who have had to work without pay during the shutdown — delayed flights at several major airports, most notably, LaGuardia Airport in New York.
