Obama signs bill to end shutdown, avoid default

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has signed a measure into law reopening the federal government and averting a potential default.

The White House says Obama signed the bill early Thursday, hours after the House gave final approval.

The White House budget office has already instructed federal workers to plan to return to work Thursday morning.

The measure restores funding for the government through January 15 and extends the nation’s borrowing authority through February 7.

The partial government shutdown started October 1. The US was to reach its debt limit Thursday if no deal was reached.

As the deal neared final passage in the House Wednesday, Obama said it was now time for leaders in Washington to win back the trust of Americans that was lost during the debt-and-spending crisis.

Congress passed and sent a waiting President Barack Obama legislation late Wednesday night to avoid a threatened national default and end the 16-day partial government shutdown, the culmination of an epic political drama that placed the US economy at risk.

The Senate voted first, a bipartisan 81-18 at midevening. That cleared the way for a final 285-144 vote in the Republican-controlled House about two hours later on the bill, which hewed strictly to the terms Obama laid down when the twin crises erupted more than three weeks ago.

The legislation would permit the Treasury to borrow normally through February 7 or perhaps a month longer, and fund the government through January 15. More than 2 million federal workers would be paid — those who had remained on the job and those who had been furloughed.