President Donald Trump finally agreed to end the 35-day US Shutdown, but with a condition. He said it is a temporary measure. His words were, “I will sign a bill to open our government for three weeks, until February 15.” He has also warned if Congress does not provide funding of the Mexico border wall, he could impose the government shutdown again or declare a national emergency.
News AU reports there will be no letup on negotiations over border security. Trump is insistent on a grant of $5.7 billion for the wall that will be made of either concrete or steel. He went on to assure the 800,000 federal workers they will get their unpaid dues soon but the workers remain worried a lot, unsure of their future in case of a repeat shutdown
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Trump faces criticism
The announcement of an end to the US shutdown appears to be a fallout of the grounding of flights at major airports with concerns of operational safety. The government employees would have missed their second pay cheque of the year if it had continued.
Already a section of FBI workers joined forces to arrange food banks for their colleagues who faced problems.
However, while the affected persons heaved a sigh of relief at the announcement, they were skeptical about getting their dues in time before another government shutdown happens. News AU goes on to add that this is because of the stand taken by Donald Trump. He demands $5.7 billion for Mexico border wall but the decisions by the Democrats are unchanged. They will provide for a maximum of $1.3 billion for border security, including fencing and surveillance.
Incidentally, the shutdown has not gone down well with the people. In one of the polls this week, 54 percent of US voters blamed the president and his party while 35 percent blamed Democrats.
Longest US government shutdown finally ends
According to the BBC, President Donald Trump finally succumbed to political pressure and announced an end to the 35-day shutdown of the government. It was the longest in US history. His decision probably stemmed from the deteriorating condition of services at airports. There was the grounding of many flights and others were delayed because of a shortage of ATC unpaid air traffic controllers. Many of them reported sick. In the early stages of the unprecedented shutdown, ATC staff of Canada sent pizzas to their counterparts in America to show togetherness. Describing the effects of the shutdown, FBI Director Christopher Wray said, "It's mind-boggling, it's short-sighted, and it's unfair."