After a 16-day shutdown, President Obama is expected to sign a bill soon that will reopen the federal government until Jan. 15. 

The deal was hammered out late Wednesday in Washington, with Republicans finally backing down from their fight over Obamacare — at least for now.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie flew to D.C. to meet with the Hawaii delegation and former colleagues. He met with all four Hawaii mayors before he left so as to present a united front, according to a release his office sent out Wednesday.

“I am pleased that Congress has finally reached an agreement that will allow the federal government to fully operate again. Like other states and counties, Hawaii was placed in a fiscally vulnerable position where benefits, programs and jobs were on the line. We continue to monitor the situation hour by hour and day by day,” Abercrombie said in a statement.

“Fortunately, the State of Hawaii has seen signs of our economy rebounding and, due to prudent management by this administration, we were equipped to weather the three weeks of the government shutdown. However, we do not want these circumstances to arise again, putting our progress in jeopardy. Since this ‘new deal’ will only be in place for a short term, we must remain vigilant regarding our finances. I will continue to voice our concerns on behalf of the state and the counties, and work with our congressional delegation.” 

Read more about the shutdown has affected Hawaii here.

— Nathan Eagle

Open sign. (Chip Griffin via Flickr)