Christie announces budget deal in New Jersey

Chris Christie.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) late Monday announced a budget deal with Democrats that would end a three-day shutdown of non-essential state government services.

"I'm saddened that it's three days late, but I'll sign the budget tonight," Christie said. The deal hinged on giving the state greater influence over the operation of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, a nonprofit that is the state's largest insurer. The agreement came after Christie faced a backlash over photographs showing him lounging with his family on a beach at a state park he had ordered closed under the shutdown. Christie dismissed the issue as "B.S., gotcha journalism," saying he made no apology for making a brief visit to his family at their summer house between budget meetings back in Trenton.

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Harold Maass, The Week US

Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.