After 43 days, the federal government shutdown has formally ended. The U.S. Home of Representatives voted Wednesday night to approve a Senate measure to reopen the federal government, and President Donald Trump signed the invoice into legislation. The deal leaves open the query of rising well being care prices that motivated the political standoff.
Home passes deal on occasion traces, with a number of exceptions
On Wednesday night, the Home voted to approve a invoice handed by the Senate to authorize a brand new federal price range. Lawmakers scrambled to return from their districts to Washington, D.C., for the vote, a course of made harder on account of flight cuts across the nation as airports remained understaffed throughout the shutdown. The ultimate vote was 222-209. Solely six Democrats, largely from aggressive districts or not in search of reelection subsequent 12 months, supported the invoice, whereas two Republicans — Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Greg Steube of Florida — opposed the measure. Steube objected to a measure added to the invoice that permits a bunch of senators to sue the federal government as a result of their telephone data have been accessed by particular prosecutor Jack Smith’s investigation into the Jan. 6 rebel. “I couldn’t in good conscience help a decision that creates a self-indulgent authorized provision for sure senators to counterpoint themselves by suing the Justice Division utilizing taxpayer {dollars},” Steube tweeted. “There isn’t a cause the Home ought to have been compelled to eat this rubbish to finish the Schumer Shutdown.”
Funding authorities for now, establishing debate on well being care prices
The invoice Trump signed totally funds the federal authorities by means of Jan. 30, that means that one other shutdown might happen if a longer-term deal isn’t struck by then. Nonetheless, even when a deal shouldn’t be reached, the invoice ensures that some key federal companies and applications will proceed. The present invoice supplies year-long funding for the Division of Agriculture and the Division of Veteran Affairs, amongst different applications. It additionally restores funding for the Supplemental Diet Help Program, which has been the subject of a authorized combat because the Trump administration resisted efforts to pay full meals help advantages throughout the shutdown. The invoice funds different help applications as effectively, together with a rise for WIC. The invoice doesn’t assure an extension for Inexpensive Care Act well being care tax credit; Senate Republicans have promised a vote on the difficulty at a later date, however the Home GOP has not dedicated to contemplating the difficulty.
Trump assaults Democrats, proposes unclear different on well being care
Trump, surrounded by GOP lawmakers, signed the invoice into legislation Wednesday evening in an Oval Workplace ceremony. He gave remarks to reporters, blaming Democrats for the shutdown, saying “Democrats tried to extort our nation” and “Republicans by no means wished a shutdown.” Trump renewed his name for the Senate to finish the filibuster as a means of stopping a future shutdown. Addressing rising well being care prices, Trump didn’t instantly touch upon Democrats’ push to resume subsidies for medical health insurance, which was the preliminary motivation for the shutdown. As a substitute, Trump criticized “Obamacare” and insurance coverage corporations and appeared to suggest some form of different. “I need the cash to go on to you, the folks. And also you’ll exit and also you’ll purchase your individual medical health insurance and also you’ll negotiate totally different plans and also you’ll get significantly better insurance coverage and also you’ll be an entrepreneur for your self.” The president didn’t clarify the main points of such a proposal, corresponding to how particular person residents would negotiate with insurance coverage corporations or how the difficulty was associated to entrepreneurship. Trump didn’t take questions on his proposals or in regards to the Epstein emails launched Wednesday that mentioned him.
Whereas the federal government will likely be reopening, it’ll take time to revive air journey, distribute meals help advantages, and in any other case recuperate from the longest shutdown in United States historical past. And the non permanent deal units up a seamless debate on medical health insurance, with no clear decision in sight for addressing rising prices.
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