Trump announces US government to reopen up until Feb. 15

After a five-week partial shutdown, the longest in US government history, President Donald Trump announced Friday: “We have reached a deal to reopen the government for three weeks up until Feb. 15.” He thanked the more than 800,000 federal workers and promised them back-pay for the weeks of forced idleness. He announced that Sen. Majority leader Mitch McConnell (Rep) would put the deal on the table immediately. Trump also reported that a bipartisan committee would review the issue of border security immediately and put together a homeland security package providing for the contested wall on America’s southern border, in consultation with border patrol experts. DEBKAfile adds: The deal Trump referred to was struck on Thursday at a meeting between McConnell and the Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer (Dem). Until then, the Democrats had stipulated that the president end the government shutdown before negotiations began on border security.