Washington (CNN) -- The way
business is done in Washington has to change to make a positive difference in
the economy, President Barack Obama said Thursday as the federal government
reopened for business and discussions began in Congress to reach a longer-term
budget deal.
The partial government shutdown and standoff over the debt ceiling
ended late Wednesday night when Congress voted on a temporary funding bill that
also raised the nation's borrowing limit.
The standoff "inflicted completely unnecessary damage (to)
our economy," Obama said Thursday morning at the White House. He said it
slowed the economy's growth and set back employers' plans to hire. "Just
the threat of default ... increased our borrowing costs, which adds to our
deficit," he said.
We'll bounce back from this," he said of what he called the
damage to the economy that the impasse caused. "America is the bedrock of
the global economy for a reason ... because we keep our word and we (meet) our
obligations."
He then called on Congress to pass a budget, approve changes to
the nation's immigration laws and pass a farm bill.
Before Obama spoke, federal employees returned to work early
Thursday to mini coffee cakes from the Vice President, hugs from colleagues,
along with eye-rolls about their "vacation" due to the partial
government shutdown.
The workers streamed into government offices in Washington, turned
on lights and opened national landmarks such as St. Louis' Gateway Arch that
had been closed during the 16-day shutdown.
The protracted brinksmanship flirted with a possible U.S. default
before ending when Republicans caved to the insistence of Obama and Democrats
that legislation funding the government and raising the federal borrowing limit
should be free -- or at least mostly free -- from partisan issues and tactics.
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