US shutdown over, new deadline looms

IANS  |  Washington 

US has signed a temporary funding bill ending a nearly three-day government shutdown, capping off deadlock and reinstating funds for a fortnight, a said.

The is expected to be back in on Tuesday. Thousands of federal employees who had been placed on temporary, unpaid leave since Saturday, breathed a sigh of relief, the reported.

Late on Monday, the Democratic leadership agreed to back the bill after accepting promises from Republicans for a debate later "on the future of young illegal immigrants".

This stopgap funding will expire on February 8.

The House and the voted Monday to end the government shutdown, extending funding for three weeks, following a deal reached between and

The House passed the continuing resolution 266-159, with 36 more yes votes than the four-week resolution they passed last week, after the earlier passed the bill by an 81-18 margin.

However, key issues remained unresolved, the said.

This so-called continuing resolution keeps the government funded until the second week of February in the hope that the could reach a longer-term budget agreement in the meantime.

Trump took a swipe at the Democrats as he signed the bill: "I am pleased that the Democrats in the have come to their senses. We will make a long-term deal on immigration if, and only if, it is good for our country."

McConnell said his party had "come to an arrangement" to negotiate on their calls for an immigration deal. Democrats want protections from deportation for so-called Dreamers -- more than 700,000 young immigrants brought to the US as children.

But Republicans had insisted no agreement was possible while the services were closed.

This was the fourth temporary measure since October 2017, because Capitol Hill cannot agree on a longer-term budget, the media said.

The Democrats would still want something tangible on DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program) but it was problematic because it could run into the February 8 funding deadline, Republican Senator said.

Democrats voiced scepticism and some liberal groups were infuriated by the agreement to reopen the government.

Possible Democratic 2020 presidential candidates in the - Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand, Cory Booker, and - all voted against Monday's bill.

On Twitter, "Democrats CAVED" was trending on Monday evening.

Schumer accused Trump of failing to help reach a deal. "The sat on the sidelines," he said.

But many have expressed dissatisfaction with Schumer's handling of the shutdown, which began on midnight on Friday.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Tue, January 23 2018. 09:06 IST