The U.S. House of Representatives approved a legislative resolution on Wednesday to end the longest government shutdown in the country's history, a paralysis that lasted 43 days and caused an estimated $14 billion in economic losses. The final vote in the lower chamber was 222 in favor and 209 against, giving the green light to the budget bill that President Donald Trump was set to sign the same night. This measure had already been approved by the Senate on Monday. Democratic slap at Trump: implicated in the Epstein case. A political showdown with high costs. The shutdown, caused by tense political debates, severely disrupted the country's operations. Flights were canceled due to a shortage of air traffic controllers, and about 670,000 government employees were temporarily furloughed. They will return to their positions with back pay starting Thursday. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson accused Democrats of 'intentionally causing harm,' while opposition leader Hakeem Jeffries defended his party's stance of 'defending the rights of Americans.' The debate over public healthcare at the center of the dispute. Beyond the budget, the shutdown was marked by intense debate over the funding of public healthcare, particularly subsidies related to Obamacare (Barack Obama's healthcare reform) and its extensions under President Joe Biden. These benefits, which benefit millions of Americans, expire at the end of the year, and their possible increase has been a point of friction. Republicans argue that subsidies should be focused on the most vulnerable sectors and not extended indiscriminately, while Democrats warn that without this aid, healthcare could become 'unaffordable' for many people. Although polls indicated that the public largely held Trump and Republicans responsible for the shutdown, the latter's unity remained firm. However, growing nervousness grew among Democrats, who had recently celebrated victories in their strongholds.
