President Donald Trump has signed a bill reopening the country’s government after a three-day shutdown.
On Monday, Trump reportedly approved the bill behind closed doors at the White House that immediately put an end to a 69-hour federal shutdown. According to The Hill, the said move will provide additional time for congressional negotiators to reach an agreement on immigration reform that will pass both the House and Senate.
The bill, which was signed by Trump around 9 p.m., will fund the government for 17 days and is expected to finance the CHIP children’s insurance program for six years. However, the bill does not include a permanent fix to the controversial DACA program and broader immigration policy, which Democrats had originally demanded.
The outlet revealed that on Friday night, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was unable to get the majority of votes to keep the government open during a negotiation at the Senate.
However, things took a different turn when negotiations ended with new assurances from McConnell. On Monday morning, 45 Democrats reportedly climbed onboard given that the Senate would consider immigration proposals in the next few weeks.
Lawmakers voted 266-150 to end the government shutdown and extend funding through February 8. In return, McConnell promised to resume negotiations on immigration, border security, military spending and other budget debates.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, on the other hand, confirmed that they will tackle immigration issues within the next three weeks.
Meanwhile, Trump has been missing in action during the negotiations for the past three days. According to reports, the president communicated to congressional Republicans by phone and refused to speak with Democrats.
In a written statement, Trump claimed he was satisfied with the government’s arrangement for the time being. He also reiterated that once funded, his administration will work extra hard to solve the problem of illegal immigration.
“I am pleased that Democrats in Congress have come to their senses. Once the government is funded, my administration will work toward solving the problem of very unfair illegal immigration. We will make a long-term deal on immigration if, and only if, it is good for our country.”
Despite reaching a temporary agreement, Democrats received a backlash from immigration activists and liberal base supporters. Apparently, they wanted them to fight longer and harder for a more concrete solution that would protect more than 700,000 younger immigrants from deportation.
Trump’s signed bill would set the stage for thousands of government workers to return to normal operations on Tuesday.
