Trump Ends Longest Government Shutdown in US History, Signs Funding Bill Amidst "Extortion" Accusations

In a move that concluded one of the most severe political and financial crises to recently strike the United States, US President Donald Trump signed a government funding bill on Thursday morning, thus announcing the end of the longest government shutdown in the nation's history, which had lasted for a full 43 days. This closure, which served as an arena for a fierce power struggle between the Republican administration and the Democratic opposition, resulted in widespread paralysis of federal services and significant financial hardship for hundreds of thousands of employees.

During the signing ceremony in the Oval Office, surrounded by Republican lawmakers who applauded him, Trump did not miss the opportunity to launch a sharp accusation against the opposition. The President stated in a resolute tone: "Today we send a clear message that we will never surrender to extortion," a direct reference to the Democratic Party's negotiating tactics. Trump also called upon American citizens to "remember what the Democrats did" in the upcoming midterm elections next year, attempting to frame the crisis resolution as an electoral issue against them.

The end of the record-breaking government shutdown only came after it had already caused a crisis affecting all levels of public life across the country. The lapse in funding resulted in a large number of federal employees being deprived of their salaries for over a month, forcing many to queue at food banks or face acute financial distress. Air travel was also significantly disrupted at airports, particularly in sectors like air traffic control and security.

This decision followed a vote in the House of Representatives, which was narrowly dominated by Republicans at the time, approving the package that had been passed by the Senate, aimed at reopening federal departments and agencies. Despite the approval, many Democrats expressed strong anger, viewing the move as a surrender by their party's leadership.

Amidst these tensions, House Speaker Mike Johnson fiercely attacked the Democrats in a blistering speech before the vote, stating: "They knew it would cause suffering, and they did it anyway... The whole thing was pointless. It was wrong and evil."

With the bill signed, approximately 670,000 furloughed government employees will immediately return to work, while a similar number of employees who continued working without pay, including over 60,000 air traffic controllers and airport security staff, will receive their owed back pay. The agreement also includes the reinstatement of federal employees laid off by Trump during the shutdown period, and air travel, which was disrupted nationwide, is expected to gradually return to normal.

As for the economic cost of this political conflict, it has yet to be finalized. However, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the shutdown resulted in a loss of an estimated $14 billion in economic growth for the country, making the closure costly on all fronts.