Washington. President Donald Trump signed into law the Treasury Bill on Wednesday night, ending a record 43-day shutdown. The shutdown left thousands of federal employees without pay. The disruption left passengers stranded and led to long queues at food aid centres.

The crisis has deepened political polarization in Washington. President Trump blamed the Democrats for the shutdown and warned the American people not to forget it in the upcoming midterm elections. “When we go to the polls again, don’t forget what the Democrats have done in our country,” he said.

President Trump’s signing ceremony took place after the House passed the bill by a party-line vote of 222-209. The Senate had already passed the bill.

Democrats have called for the continuation of expanded tax credits under the Affordable Care Act that reduce health insurance costs. But Republicans rejected that demand, saying it would be discussed at another time. Tom Cole, the Republican chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, defended the Trump administration’s move, saying that “shutdowns will never produce the desired results.”

End of long deadlock{

During the debate in the House, both sides blamed each other. Speaker Mike Johnson accused Democrats of “creating pain and seeking political gain”. But Democrat leader Hakeem Jeffries said, “This fight is not over, we have only just begun.” ’

Under the agreement, the government will fund three annual spending bills, and the rest will be extended until January 30. In addition, federal workers will be returned to work with wage guarantees and no new fires until January.

The bill would also allow the Department of Agriculture’s food assistance programs to continue throughout the budget year without interruption. It also announced $203.5 million to increase the security of lawmakers and an additional $28 million to protect Supreme Court justices.

But a controversial provision in the bill would give federal agencies the power to seek up to half a million dollars in damages for each violation if they search a senator’s electronic records without notifying them. The provision is believed to be linked to the FBI’s investigation into Trump’s 2020 election defeat, which also angered some Republican lawmakers.

Disagreement over health tax credit

The main contention was the increased tax credit under the Affordable Care Act. Republicans argued that it should be eliminated as a “temporary COVID-19 provision,” while Democrats argued that it needed to be continued because it would give millions of Americans access to health insurance.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi said, “This tax credit is adding health care to the general public, and Republicans are trying to remove it.” The Congressional Budget Office estimates that if the tax credit is eliminated, premiums would double and about 2 million Americans would lose insurance.

The Senate is preparing to vote again in December, but the possibility of a compromise is unclear. Some Republicans have signaled support for expanding tax credits for low-income citizens, but have called for new income limits and reforms to the grant distribution system.

House Democrat Rosa DeLauro said, “Republicans have been trying to reverse health care for 15 years, and they are still on that path.” Thus, after 43 days of economic and political stalemate, the US is back to normal, but the main debate over health policy remains.