Trump signs funding bill to end longest US government shutdown
The signing came just hours after the Republican-controlled US House passed a measure to end the record 43-day shutdown
US President Donald Trump signed a bill to end the record-breaking US government shutdown after the House of Representatives approved a bipartisan funding deal on Wednesday.
The signing at the White House in Washington capped a 43-day stoppage that has left hundreds of thousands of federal employees without pay and disrupted public services in the United States. However, just how quickly full government services and operations would resume was not immediately clear.
“This is no way to run a country,” the Republican president said in the Oval Office during a late-night ceremony that he used to criticise rival Democrats. “I hope we can all agree the government should never be shut down again.”
Flanked by Republican leaders, Trump falsely accused Democrats of costing the country US$1.5 trillion. While the full financial toll of the shutdown has yet to be determined, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that it could cause up to US$14 billion in lost growth.
“It’s a great day,” Trump added, as reporters were led out of the Oval Office immediately after the signing.