16 days after total shut down, the US Government has today opened its office doors.

President Barack Obama saluted the resolution of Congress' bitter standoff but lambasted Republicans for the partial shutdown that he said had damaged the U.S. economy and America's credibility around the world.

The House and Senate voted late Wednesday night to end the shutdown that began when Republicans tried unsuccessfully to use must-pass funding legislation to derail the president's landmark health care law.

Early Thursday, Obama signed the measure and directed all agencies to reopen promptly. The government unlocked office doors, carried barriers away from national monuments and lifted entrance gates at parks across the country.