Washington: United States President Donald Trump on Friday night (local time) signed the short-term spending bill, bringing to an end the 35-day partial government shutdown, without getting new funding for a Mexico wall.
Trump avoided public signing ceremony instead signed the “continuing resolution” behind the closed doors of White House, reported The Hill.
The stopgap bill, which includes an extension of border-security funding at the current level, was passed by a voice vote by the Senate and US House of Representatives.
The revoking of the longest ever shut down of the government has come as a relief to the 800,000 federal workers who have not received their pay ever since the shutdown began last year, leading to repeated calls by elected representatives to open the government.
However, the Trump decision to end the shut down draw immediate criticism from his own party, with many conservatives claiming that this action would weaken the negotiating position of Republican with Democrats.
Trump tried to defend himself on Twitter, “I wish people would read or listen to my words on the Border Wall. This was in no way a concession. It was taking care of millions of people who were getting badly hurt by the Shutdown with the understanding that in 21 days if no deal is done, it’s off to the races!
Earlier in the day, Trump announced that lawmakers had reached a deal to temporarily halt the partial government shut down. A bipartisan panel will be working on a border security package.
During an address in Rose Garden, Trump warned that this time he avoided using the “powerful alternative” which is declaring the emergency.
“If we don’t get a fair deal from Congress, the Government will either shut down on February 15th again – or I will use the powers afforded to me under the laws and the Constitution of the United States to address this emergency. We will have great security,” Trump highlighted.
The US president received a lot of flak from the opposition and higher officials in the government agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation. FBI Chief Christopher Wray in a video address, denounced the partial government shutdown in a rare public statement, saying that he supports his workers and that they have been working in unfair conditions.
“Making some people stay home when they don’t want to, and making others show up without pay — it’s mind-boggling, it’s short-sighted, and it’s unfair,” he said.
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