On February 3, the US government reopened, ending the partial shutdown that lasted four days. This move comes after many heated debates and shows significant divisions within the two parties in Congress.
The budget bill was passed by the US House of Representatives with a close result of 217 votes in favor and 214 votes against. The vote reflected a rift in both parties, with 21 Republican senators voting against and 21 Democratic senators voting in favor. A few hours later, President Trump signed the law, creating a legal basis for federal agencies to return to normal operations.
This spending package is valid until the end of September for agencies that had to close, including the Ministry of Energy, Defense, Finance, Foreign Affairs, Labor, Transportation, Health and Human Services, Education, along with the judicial branch and some independent agencies. The budget for the US Department of Homeland Security is separated and only extended until February 13, to give time for lawmakers to continue negotiations.
This shutdown is much shorter than the 43-day record that almost paralyzed the US administration before. However, the budget negotiation process still faces many obstacles.
The deadlock arose when the Democratic Party expressed outrage at President Trump's tough immigration crackdowns, amid rising social tensions after controversial incidents in Minneapolis, increasing opposition to the approval of a new budget for the Department of Homeland Security.
Previously, the US Senate passed the budget package with 71 votes in favor and 29 votes against, but the document was not passed by the House before the weekend holiday, causing the government to begin shutdown.
Although there was expectation that the House would soon complete voting, opposition from Republican senators supporting tightening fiscal discipline slowed down the process.
President Trump sent a message calling on senators in the party to quickly close the deadlock, and coordinated with House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring the bill to the negotiating table. Pressure from the Republican leadership and the White House has caused some senators to change their positions.
Meanwhile, Mr. Hakeem Jeffries, leader of the House minority, continued to call for a broad reform of the Department of Homeland Security and is expected to discuss the next steps with Mr. Chuck Schumer - leader of the Senate minority - on February 13. Negotiations related to the Department's budget ahead of schedule are forecast to remain tense.
