On Wednesday evening, US President Donald Trump enacted the funding bill that was approved by the House of Representatives, thereby concluding the longest government shutdown in American history. He attributed the cancellation or delay of 20,000 flights and the loss of wages for over 1 million government employees during the shutdown to the Democrats.
While signing the bill, Trump remarked, “The Democrats’ shutdown has caused significant damage. They are responsible for the cancellation or delay of 20,000 flights… They have deprived more than 1 million government workers of their salaries and have cut off food stamp assistance for millions of Americans in need. They have left tens of thousands of federal contractors and small businesses without payment.”
Regarding the overall impact of the shutdown, he stated that it would require weeks to evaluate the effects and likely months to accurately quantify them, including the severe damage inflicted on the economy, individuals, and families.
“Today we are delivering a definitive message that we will not succumb to extortion,” Trump declared in the Oval Office prior to signing the bill, as Republican lawmakers applauded in the background.
When will government operations be fully restored?
The process of restarting the federal bureaucracy following the longest government shutdown in US history may still require several days.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy informed reporters on Wednesday that he anticipates it will take roughly a week before flight restrictions at major airports are lifted.
Details of the funding bill to conclude the government shutdown
The bill reinstates the federal employees who were dismissed by the Trump administration since the onset of the shutdown. Additionally, it safeguards federal workers from any further layoffs until January and ensures that all affected employees will receive payment once operations are back to normal.
Approximately 670,000 furloughed government employees are projected to return to their positions. A similar number of individuals who continued to work without pay, including over 60,000 air traffic controllers and airport security personnel, will be compensated retroactively.
