YAY! US Officials Have Reached A Deal To Reopen The Government For Three Weeks!
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The longest federal shutdown in US history has finally ended! At around midday on January 25, 2019, President Donald Trump and US Congressional leaders agreed to reopen the government, which has been partially shut since December 21, 2018, for three weeks until February 15, 2019. Lawmakers from both parties believe this will give them enough time to reach a compromise on President Trump’s $5.7 billion request to build a US – Mexico border wall, which has caused the lengthy shutdown.
The agreement came as the impasse stretched into its 35th day, two weeks longer than the previous federal government closure record of 21 days. The impetus for US lawmakers to get a short-term funding bill approved came after effects of the prolonged shutdown started to become increasingly apparent.
The most visible impact were the significant flight delays due to the increase in the unpaid air traffic controllers calling in sick. Their absence forced federal officials to restrict the number of flights in and out of busy airports such as New York, Newark, Philadelphia, and Washington DC., grounding thousands of travelers for hours. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said on Friday that the airport delays in particular "ratchets up pressure tremendously" to reopen the government, adding that the being forced to continue to ground flights could prove "very damaging to the American economy."
Also affected is the Internal Revenue Service. The agency reported that 14,000 unpaid employees in its tax processing and call centers did not show up for work this week, further straining the already stretched resources.
Whether the temporary funding measure takes into account the two paychecks the 800,000 government employees have missed due to the shutdown is unclear. But they will at least not have to worry about how to feed their families for three weeks, or, hopefully, ever again, if US lawmakers can agree on a long-term funding bill by February 15, 2019.
Resources: CNN.com, QZ.com, adn.com
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331 Comments
jodelinalmost 6 yearsThank God they ended the shutdown- anneliesealmost 6 yearsomg
- hialmost 6 yearsFINALLY THAT TOOK FOREVER!
- Natan Leibovtcalmost 6 yearsThis weekend is the Super bowl who do you want to win rams of patriots
- Forever Windalmost 6 yearsYAY! Even though it is only open for three weeks. At least the people who work for the government will get paid again
- katiealmost 6 yearslm sad
- annomonysalmost 6 yearsyay
- Skieralmost 6 yearsI read the other article the went with this and it is really sad that the reopen is only for three weeks. At least the government is reopening at all!
- ISms22almost 6 yearsIt's gonna be open for three weeks, but I don't think Congress is gonna agree on a bill w/ a wall. Most likely on February 15 either the Government shuts down again or President Trump declares a "National State of Emergency"
iceskatingqueenalmost 6 yearsYay!!!!! So happy
