President Donald Trump signed a spending bill to reopen the government and end the longest shutdown in U.S. history.
He signed the short-term bill into law just hours after the House voted 222-209 to approve it Wednesday night, and two days after the Senate narrowly passed the same bill.
Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said the government would now “resume normal operations” after “people were so badly hurt” by the 43-day shutdown.
Many government services have been suspended since October and about 1.4 million federal employees have been on unpaid leave or working without pay. Food aid was also left in limbo and air travel was disrupted across the country.
Government services are expected to reopen in the coming days, while disruptions to air travel will likely ease ahead of the impending Thanksgiving holiday. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had reduced air traffic due to staff shortages due to the shutdown.
That had direct impacts on members of Congress trying to get to the nation’s capital on Wednesday for the House vote.
Derrick Van Orden, a Republican from Wisconsin, rode his motorcycle nearly 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) across the country to cast his vote in the House before it was sent to the president’s desk.
The bill only provides funding to keep the government open until Jan. 30, when lawmakers will once again have to find a way to fund it.
Before signing it into law, Trump repeatedly blamed the shutdown on the Democratic Party. “They did it purely for political reasons,” he said.
“When we get to the midterm elections and other things, let’s not forget what they’ve done to our country,” he added.
Senate Democrats were able to trigger the shutdown despite being a minority in the chamber, because Republicans needed some Democratic votes to pass a temporary funding bill.
They initially refused to support the bill, demanding that Republicans agree to extend health insurance subsidies for low-income Americans that are set to expire at the end of the year.
Republicans maintained that a discussion on health care could take place after the government reopens.
But on Sunday, a group of eight Senate Democrats broke from the party and helped pass the spending package. They voted yes in exchange for a promise to vote on those health care subsidies in December.
It sparked fury within the Democratic Party and public criticism from figures such as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, the House minority leader, said the package “does nothing substantial to solve America’s health crisis.”
Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine was among the group of Democrats who voted in favor of the compromise. He rejected that criticism and said the federal workers he represents were “saying thank you” for accepting the deal.
Hours before the House voted to reopen the government, Democrats in Congress watched as their new lawmaker was sworn into office.
The addition did not provide enough leverage to sway the inclusion of health care subsidies in the government funding bill, but Democrats welcomed Adelita Grijalva to their ranks with applause on the House floor.
The Democratic representative from Arizona was elected on September 23, but the House has not met since September 19, delaying her swearing-in. He occupies the seat once held by his father, Raúl Grijalva, who died earlier this year.
Democrats immediately turned to their newest member to support a petition to force a vote on legislation requiring the release of files related to late pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The petition will have to sit for seven legislative days before it can be called for consideration on the floor, and House leaders will then be required to schedule a vote within two legislative days.
House Speaker Mike Johnson surprised many on Wednesday and said he would schedule a vote for next week.
What’s in the expense agreement?
The deal negotiated over the weekend extends federal government funding through Jan. 30.
It also includes year-round funding for the Department of Agriculture, as well as funding for military construction and legislative agencies.
The bill also includes assurances that all federal workers will be paid for their time during the shutdown and funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides food assistance to one in eight Americans, through next September.
The package includes an agreement to vote in December on extending health care subsidies on which Democrats had been asking for concessions.
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