Trump signs bill ending partial government shutdown

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a bill ending the partial government shutdown caused by a lack of agreed funding, which had been in effect since January 31.

The signing was announced on February 3, after just three days of the partial shutdown — the government’s briefest funding lapse in years, CNN reports.

The bill was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, marking an important victory for Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson. During the discussions, Johnson had to persuade Republicans to support the measure, which provided temporary funding for the Department of Homeland Security but did not include several key provisions for conservatives.

For most federal agencies, the law ensures financial certainty. However, the Department of Homeland Security remains without long-term funding. Johnson noted that the real “battle” will be over funding for this department.

Trump had previously reached an agreement with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to pass the bill without full funding for Homeland Security, as part of a compromise to reduce tensions following the scandal involving the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.

Over the next two weeks, Trump, Republicans, and Democrats will need to reach a compromise on funding for the Department of Homeland Security, or federal agencies could once again face a potential shutdown.

For context, the previous shutdown in the fall, which lasted 43 days, became the longest in U.S. history.

By Khagan Isayev