Federal government offices will reopen Thursday after being shut down for 16 days as Congress passed a short-term agreement to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling by an 81-18 Senate vote and 285-144 vote in the House, Bloomberg reported Thursday.
The bill funds the government at current spending levels through Jan. 15, 2014 and lifts the debt limit through Feb. 7, according to Bloomberg.
President Barack Obama signed the bill shortly after midnight and furloughed government employees will be called back to work, the report said.
“Today, the president signed a continuing resolution that brings employees back to work and reopens many government functions. All employees who were on furlough due to the absence of appropriations may now return to work. You should reopen offices in a prompt and orderly manner,” White House budget director Sylvia Burwell told agencies in a memo issued early Thursday morning.
American Forces Press Service reports nearly 4,000 Defense Department employees will go back to work Thursday, nearly a week after the Pentagon recalled nearly 300,000 civilians to their jobs.
According to GovExec, nearly 500,000 total federal employees will return to work.
