United States President Donald Trump announced on Friday that a deal to open the federal government has been reached, ending the longest-ever shutdown in US history. Speaking in the Rose Garden, Trump confirmed that a deal to fund the government until February 15 has been agreed on and added that federal workers would receive back pay "as soon as possible."
The president acknowledged that although he did have a "very powerful alternative," he decided against declaring a national emergency in order to get funding for a border wall with Mexico. In the next three weeks, a bipartisan conference committee will begin reviewing border security requests and will present Trump with a homeland security package to sign into law. "I expect Democrats and Republicans will operate in good faith and use this as an opportunity to work together for the benefit of our whole nation," he underscored.
