The US President Donald Trump has announced a short-term deal for the time being to reopen the government, ending the longest shutdown in U.S. history. The measure was passed by the Senate Friday afternoon and the House later approved it before sending it to Trump, who later signed it in the nocturnal hour. According to minority leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. the president has agreed to their request to open the government then debate border security. The short-term agreement with congressional leaders will last three weeks, until Feb. 15, and allow talks to continue over border security and a wall on the southern border. The agreement contains no new money for his wall, and is a massive concession on his behalf after refusing a similar funding package a month ago. The 35-day closure, the longest in U.S. history, had furloughed 800,000 federal employees while the president and Democrats battled over the wall. Trump’s decision to reopen the government echoes what Democrats have been demanding for weeks: reopen the government then negotiate over a border wall. The president earlier said he wouldn’t sign a bill that didn’t include funding for the wall and for weeks dug his heels in, even saying at one point that the shutdown could last months or even years until border security was addressed. Trump’s decision on Friday to reopen the government apparently gave Democrats a victory round. The president, nonetheless, maintained reopening the government was not a “concession” but a provisional measure to permit the 800,000 federal workers, who weren’t being paid, some relief. At least some on the right censured Trump for coming away from the shutdown with very little at this point. The president said he anticipated congressional negotiators to get him border security legislation soon but he spent much of his comments Friday promoting the benefits of a wall and he threatened to use his national emergency powers if he doesn’t get what he desires. He said we really have no choice but to construct a wall and If we don’t get a fair deal from Congress, the government will either shut down again on Feb. 15, or I will use the powers afforded to me under the laws and the Constitution of the United States to address this emergency. It’s still not entirely clear what could happen if a deal isn’t stuck by Feb. 15. The federal government could once again shutdown or the president could choose to use executive authority to redirect money for his border wall, something he has hinted at for weeks.
Although Trump seemed to point out that government shutdown was still an option but his rivals believe he has walked away with head held down.