Trump announces deal to temporarily reopen the government
The deal would open the government until Feb. 15 and includes no money for a border wall.
President Donald Trump announced a deal to reopen the government for three weeks, ending a 35-day partial shutdown without securing any of the border wall money he had demanded.
Trump said he has asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to vote immediately on the deal, which would open the affected agencies through Feb. 15. He added that he will make sure federal workers get back pay quickly.
“We have reached a deal to end the shutdown and reopen the federal government,” Trump told reporters Friday in televised remarks at the White House Rose Garden.
Related: Insights into the government shutdown’s affect on the benefits industry
The Senate could vote on the legislation Friday. House passage also is required, which could happen immediately unless a member objects. In that case, House members would have to return to Washington for a roll-call vote.
The stopgap measure includes no money for a border wall, two people familiar with the matter said.
Trump said the accord calls for negotiations on border security measures while the government is reopens.
“They have said they are for complete border security, and they have finally and fully acknowledged that having barriers, fencing or walls or whatever you want to call it will be an important part of the solution,” Trump said.
Negotiations in the Senate restarted Thursday after the chamber rejected rival plans to reopen plans from Trump and Democrats to fund the government. Trump had refused to end the shutdown until he received $5.7 billion for a border wall and Democrats had refused to negotiate with him on wall funding as long as the shutdown continued.
Pressure on Trump and lawmakers to end the shutdown escalated Friday as the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily halted flights into New York’s LaGuardia Airport because of a shortage of air-traffic control staff. While the delay was lifted after an hour and 22 minutes, the disruption cascaded through East Coast airports such as Newark Liberty International and Philadelphia.
About 800,000 federal employees who are furloughed or working without pay and many of them missed their second paycheck on Friday.
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