Congress votes to end shutdown, Trump claims victory

WASHINGTON-Agence France-Presse

Congress put the U.S. government back in business on Jan. 22 by voting to end a three-day shutdown, as President Donald Trump claimed victory in his standoff with Democrats in Washington.

The House voted 266 to 150 to extend federal funding, hours after Senate Democrats dropped their opposition to the plan after winning Republican assurances of a vote on immigration in the coming weeks.

Trump signed the measure into law late on Jan. 22, and government operations would essentially return to normal on Jan. 23.“I know there’s great relief that this episode is coming to an end,” House Speaker Paul Ryan told colleagues.

“But this is not a moment to pat ourselves on the back. Not even close.”    

The stalemate consumed Washington for the better part of a week, as lawmakers and the White House feuded over immigration policy and the nation’s two main political parties exchanged bitter barbs before finally reaching a deal.“I am pleased Democrats in Congress have come to their senses,” Trump said in a defiant statement, as lawmakers moved to get hundreds of thousands of federal government employees back to work.

Democrats decided to end the three-day shutdown after making progress with ruling Republicans toward securing the fate of hundreds of thousands of so-called “Dreamers” brought to America as children, many of them illegally.With Democratic support, a bill keeping the government funded until Feb. 8 easily passed the Senate, where different versions of the funding had languished for days.Word of the compromise deal struck in Washington sent U.S. and world stocks surging to new highs.