Breaking News: After record 43 days, federal government shutdown ends

Hours after the U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday to open the government, and days after the U.S. Senate voted for the same, President Donald Trump signed the government funding bill, the Associated Press reported.

It ends the longest federal government shutdown at a record 43 days.

Federal employees have been without pay since Oct. 1 and people who depend on federal programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that 42 million people rely on for food, have been without benefits.

The shutdown also had led to the U.S. Department of Transportation required 40 airports, including Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, to reduce air traffic by 10% due to the shortage of air traffic controllers.

The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen sent a letter to Duffy indicating the state would pay November salaries for air traffic controllers and security screeners at Hawai‘i airports if the state agency was granted a waiver from the required reduction.

HDOT had not received a response from Duffy. Shelly Kunishige, communications manager for Hawai‘i Department of Transportation, said in an email Wednesday before Trump signed the funding bill that “We’re hopeful that the shutdown will end soon and the hard-working federal employees receive what they are due.”

Inter-island flights have been impacted. While the overall number of flights canceled since the government shutdown is unknown at this time, Alex De silva, spokesperson for Hawaiian Airlines, said the company canceled 12 inter-island flights on Wednesday.

The biggest sticking point during the shutdown was the fate of the expiring enhanced tax credit, which makes health insurance more affordable through Affordable Care Act marketplaces. Without the tax credits, rates could rise significantly.

Hawaiʻi senators Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz both voted against the funding bill because it did not include extending the tax credits.

“We are not done with this fight,” Schatz said after the vote. “We are going to keep fighting to try to salvage this situation for the tens of millions of Americans who are going to see their health care costs double.”

Hirono added: “For months, Democrats have fought to prevent health care costs from skyrocketing for millions of Americans. Despite our repeated calls for Republicans to join us in this effort, they have refused to even discuss extending Affordable Care Act subsidies with us.”