Trump signs deal ending longest government shutdown in US history

(Patria) – US President Donald Trump signed a deal ending the longest government shutdown in the history of the United States. After that, the House of Representatives voted to unblock food aid, pay hundreds of thousands of federal workers, and resume government operations.

The House of Representatives, dominated by Republicans, adopted the package with 222 votes in favor and 209 against. Trump's support was crucial for maintaining party unity, despite strong opposition from Democrats.

By signing the bill, which the Senate approved earlier this week, thousands of federal employees will return to work starting Thursday, after 43 days of forced work stoppage. However, it is unclear how quickly all government services and operations will be restored.

"We must never let this happen again," Trump said.

The deal extends funding until January 30, while the federal government continues to increase its debt, which currently stands at around $38 trillion, with an annual growth of approximately $1.8 trillion.

Republican Representative David Schweikert of Arizona commented humorously on the situation:
"I feel like I just lived through an episode of Seinfeld. We spent 40 days in all of this, and I still don't know what the plot was."

He added that he believed the shutdown would only last a few days:
"I thought people would have their moment to have a tantrum, and then we would get back to work."

The restoration of food stamp benefits for millions of families is expected to ease pressure on household budgets and boost spending ahead of the Christmas shopping season.

According to economists' estimates, the work stoppage reduced the US gross domestic product by more than a tenth of a percentage point during each of the six weeks of the shutdown, although most of the losses are expected to be recovered in the coming months.