President Barack Obama early on Thursday signed legislation that ends a US government shutdown and raises the US debt ceiling, the White House said.
The US Congress has passed a bill to reopen the government and raise the federal debt limit, with hours to spare before the nation risked default. The Democratic-controlled Senate's bipartisan compromise won approval by 81 votes to 18. The deal was then passed by 285-144 in the House of Representatives, whose Republican leadership begrudgingly agreed to support the measure. It came hours before the deadline to raise the $16.7tn (£10.5tn) limit. Office of Management and Budget Director Sylvia Mathews Burwell said in a separate statement that the government will try to get back to full operating status as smoothly as possible. "This has been a particularly challenging time for Federal employees and I want to thank our Nation's dedicated civil servants for their continued commitment to serving the American people," she wrote. Most employees furloughed for the past two weeks are expected back to work Thursday, Burwell said in a directive to federal agencies. The last day of the shutdown in 3 minutes: US shutdown ends: House joins Senate in passing deal to avoid default, bill goes to Obama The US House has passed a Senate-approved deal to lift the debt ceiling and end the government shutdown after 16 days. The 11th hour deal was finally approved to end a partial government shutdown and pull the world's biggest economy back from the brink of a historic debt default that could have threatened financial calamity. The White House said Barack Obama would sign the bill on Wednesday night, and Obama vowed to begin reopening the government immediately. "Employees should expect to return to work in the morning," said Sylvia Mathews Burwell, director of the Office of Management and Budget. However, offers only a temporary fix and does not resolve the fundamental issues of spending and deficits that divide Republicans and Democrats. It funds the government until January 15 and raises the debt ceiling until February 7, so Americans face the possibility of another government shutdown early next year. World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said "the global economy dodged a potential catastrophe" with congressional approval of the deal to raise the $16.7 trillion US debt ceiling. "It is one of the most shameful chapters I have seen in the years I've spent in the Senate," Senator John McCain said after the deal approval. No US government shutdown: employees to return to work on Thursday White House budget office says federal workers should plan to return to work Thursday morning, The Voice of Russia's US correspondent Roman Mamonov reports. President Barack Obama ordered all federal employees to return to work on Thursday after Congress passed a bill extending the nation's borrowing authority and ending a two-week government shutdown. "Now that the bill has passed the United States Senate and the House of Representatives, the president plans to sign it tonight and employees should expect to return to work in the morning," said Office of Management and Budget director Sylvia Mathews Burwell. US House passes bill to reopen gov't, increase debt limit The US House of Representatives late on Wednesday passed legislation to avoid a damaging default on government debt and to reopen federal agencies shuttered when funding ran out on Oct. 1. The House vote came hours after the Senate overwhelmingly approved the bill. President Barack Obama earlier on Wednesday said he will promptly sign the bill into law. Obama says will sign bill immediately to reopen government, lift debt ceiling President Barack Obama said on Wednesday he will sign legislation to reopen the US government and avert a debt default as soon as it reaches the White House. Speaking after the Senate voted to end the fiscal impasse, but before the House of Representatives took a vote, Obama said the government will reopen immediately after he signs the bill, ending a 16-day shutdown. "We can begin to lift this cloud of uncertainty and unease from our businesses and from the American people," he said. Obama says Washington must 'regain' trust of Americans President Barack Obama sought Wednesday to heal the wounds of a debt ceiling and government shutdown showdown, and warned Washington must stop governing by crisis. Obama said US leaders needed to "earn back" the trust of the American people after the crisis, in a short statement after the Senate voted to back a compromise deal and before the House of Representatives was expected to do likewise. US Senate passes legislation to avert default, fund government and raise debt limit ceiling The US Senate, racing to avert a government default, on Wednesday passed legislation raising the Treasury Department's borrowing authority and sent the measure to theHouse of Representatives for final passage. The legislation also would end a partial government shutdown by providing new funds for federal agencies that have been closed since Oct. 1. The US Senate approved a deal on Wednesday to end a political crisis that partially shut down the federal government and brought the world's biggest economy to the edge of a debt default that could have threatened financial calamity. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives was expected to take up the measure later on Wednesday after Speaker John Boehner dropped the party's efforts to link the spending measure to changes in President Barack Obama's healthcare law. The deal, however, offers only a temporary fix and does not resolve the fundamental issues of spending and deficits that divide Republicans and Democrats. It funds the government until Jan. 15 and raises the debt ceiling until Feb. 7, so Americans face the possibility of another government shutdown early next year. US stocks surged, nearing an all-time high, on news of the deal. The stand-off between Republicans and the White House over funding the government forced the temporary lay-off of hundreds of thousands of federal workers from Oct. 1 and created concern that crisis-driven politics was the "new normal" in Washington. Senator John McCain, whose fellow Republicans triggered the crisis with demands that President Barack Obama's signature "Obamacare" healthcare law be defunded, said on Wednesday the deal marked the "end of an agonizing odyssey" for Americans. "It is one of the most shameful chapters I have seen in the years I've spent in the Senate," said McCain, who had repeatedly warned Republicans not to link their demands for Obamacare changes to the debt limit or government spending bill. The Senate passed the measure on a 81-18 vote, and the House was expected to follow suit, clearing the way for Obama to sign it into law no later than Thursday, when the Treasury says it will hit the $16.7 trillion debt ceiling. Fully reopening the government was expected to take several days. While essential functions like defense and air traffic control have continued, national parks and agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency have been largely closed. Although the deal would only extend US borrowing authority until Feb. 7, the Treasury Department would have tools to temporarily extend its borrowing capacity beyond that date if Congress failed to act early next year. The agreement includes some income verification procedures for those seeking subsidies under the healthcare law, but Republicans surrendered on their attempts to include other changes, including the elimination of a medical device tax. Voice of Russia, Reuters, AFP, BBC. Source: The Voice of Russia
