Washington: Europe and the Arabs

After weeks of administrative paralysis and political tension, US President Donald Trump signed a bill to fund the federal government, ending the longest government shutdown in US history, which lasted more than 40 days, costing the US treasury billions of dollars and causing widespread disruption to transportation and public services. According to a report by the European news network Euronews in Brussels, during the signing ceremony in the Oval Office, Trump said, amid applause from Republican lawmakers, "Today we are sending a clear message that we will never give in to extortion." He added, directly criticizing the Democratic Party, "Americans should remember what the Democrats did when they go to the polls in next year's elections," referring to the midterm elections.

The signing of the bill came after the House of Representatives and the Senate approved a temporary funding bill for the government until the end of January. This includes the resumption of food assistance, the payment of wages to hundreds of thousands of federal employees whose salaries had been suspended, and the restoration of the air traffic control system, which had experienced unprecedented disruptions.

The bill's passage allowed some 670,000 furloughed federal employees to return to work, and airport workers and air traffic controllers received back pay after the shutdown caused chaos at airports and disrupted thousands of flights.

During the shutdown, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced a 10% reduction in flights at more than 40 major airports due to a shortage of air traffic controllers who were working without pay. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the decision was "essential to ensuring the safety of the airspace."

Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries accused Republicans of "ignoring the worsening cost-of-living crisis," asserting that his party would introduce separate legislation to extend federal health insurance benefits that were set to expire at the end of the year.

Congress was deeply divided during the crisis, with eight Democratic senators breaking ranks with their party leadership and voting in favor of the temporary funding package, a move considered crucial to ending the political gridlock. The US government shutdown began on October 1, 2015, following the collapse of negotiations between the Republican and Democratic parties regarding federal budget priorities, particularly concerning social spending and infrastructure funding.

This shutdown, the longest in the country's history, cast a long shadow over various sectors, causing enormous economic losses and widespread social unrest. It cost the US Treasury billions of dollars due to the freezing of federal projects and the postponement of government contracts, while consumer confidence plummeted to its lowest level in seven months, according to the Conference Board.

Nearly one million government employees were affected by the shutdown, including hundreds of thousands who were furloughed or forced to work without pay, creating a severe financial crisis for many American families. Food assistance programs and social services for low-income groups were disrupted, and the unprecedented shortage of air traffic controllers paralyzed the transportation sector. According to data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), more than 5.2 million passengers have been affected by delays or cancellations since the shutdown began, while airlines have canceled more than 9,000 flights within the United States after the agency was forced to reduce flight capacity by 10% at dozens of major airports.

The repercussions of the crisis have not been limited to the economic and service sectors. The divide between the two parties has deepened, with both sides trading accusations about responsibility for the continued shutdown.

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized what he called Trump's "preoccupation with the trappings of power instead of the priorities of the citizens," saying, "While Donald Trump boasts about renovating the bathrooms in the White House, Americans are increasingly worried about their ability to afford healthcare next year."

In contrast, President Donald Trump placed full responsibility for the crisis on the Democrats, saying during a visit to Florida, "The shutdown is ongoing because the Democrats don't know what to do... They've gone crazy." He added, "The solution is very simple, and there are a number of Democrats who realize it, but Republicans are very united, and we are calling on some sensible Democrats to join us in reopening the government."