US government shutdown

US President Donald Trump says he has signed a spending bill into law, bringing an end to the temporary government shutdown. He confirmed the move in a tweet early Friday.

The US government suffered a brief shutdown – the second in less than a month – after a vote on the budget deal negotiated by Republicans and Democrats was delayed in the senate beyond the midnight deadline.

The US House of Representatives has approved funding for US government operations through March 23. The measure is unlikely to get approval in the Senate, threatening another government shutdown.

Three days into a government shutdown, the Senate voted to clear the path for funding US institutions through February 8. Democrats had blocked funding, demanding amnesty for migrants brought into the US as children illegally.

Government shutdowns have become part and parcel of US politics, with the Donald Trump situation showing what Americans can expect to happen every six months, Patrick Henningsen, Executive Editor of 21st Century Wire.com, told RT.

The US government shut down at midnight Friday, the 18th such event in modern US history. RT takes a look at previous instances of congressional stalemate that brought the country to a standstill.