President Trump is announced Friday he’ll back a move to reopen the government for a few weeks, so government workers can get paid while the debate over border security continues.
“I am very pleased to announce that we have reached a deal to end the shutdown and open the federal government,” Mr. Trump said in an address from the White House Rose Garden, adding that he had the opportunity to declare a national emergency to build the wall but decided not to do so at this time. Mr. Trump also thanked the federal workers who had been furloughed or working without pay.
“In many cases, you encouraged me to keep going because you care so much about our country and our border security,” he said to federal workers. He said federal workers would receive back pay “very quickly,” or “almost immediately.”
Mr. Trump said that he expected Democrats and Republicans to cooperate on a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security, although he reiterated that building a wall was important to border security.
“I really feel that in working with Democrats and Republicans, we can make a truly great and secure deal for everyone,” he said. “Walls should not be controversial.”
Flights in and out New York City’s LaGuardia airport were delayed on Friday morning due to staffing shortages among air traffic controllers, according to a notice issued by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Elsewhere, a flight was canceled due to a lack of sufficient TSA staff at the Monroe Louisiana airport Friday morning.
