US lawmakers have passed a temporary spending bill, bringing an end to a six-week standoff between President Donald Trump and Congressional Democrats. This marks the impending end of the longest shutdown in US history, which had caused delays in the release of critical data, disrupted flights, and delayed food assistance for millions of Americans. However, it may take several more days for full operations to resume.
According to Bloomberg, the White House confirmed that President Trump will sign the spending package on Wednesday night, officially ending the shutdown. The shutdown has had a significant impact on the US economy. The Congressional Budget Office estimated last month that the six-week government closure would reduce real GDP growth by 1.5 percentage points in the current quarter. More than half of this loss could be recovered by early next year as federal programs resume and government employees receive back pay.
Flight Restrictions to be Lifted After a Week
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that it would take about a week for flight restrictions to be lifted at major airports. Many of the 42 million low-income Americans under the Federal Food Stamp Program have not received their November benefits. States have said they will need a week to update beneficiary files and load debit cards.
Most federal government employees have not been paid for over a month, regardless of whether they were working or not. However, the White House has found legally controversial ways to make payments to military personnel during the shutdown. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt said on Wednesday that the government shutdown is likely to delay the release of October’s jobs report and Consumer Price Index (CPI) data.
