House Will Vote to End Record-Breaking Government Shutdown/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ After nearly two months away, the House returns to vote on a bill to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The measure, already passed by the Senate, faces partisan divides over health care tax credits. Federal workers, food programs, and security budgets hang in the balance.
Government Shutdown Quick Looks
- House reconvenes after 8 weeks to vote on Senate bill
- Shutdown enters 43rd day, longest in U.S. history
- Democrats oppose bill over missing health care subsidies
- Speaker Johnson claims “national nightmare” is ending
- Senate compromise funds government through January 30
- Federal workers protected from layoffs, will receive back pay
- Bill boosts security funding for lawmakers and justices
- Health care subsidies debate delayed until December
- ACA credits could expire, impacting millions of Americans
- Trump and GOP continue calls to overhaul health care
Deep Look: House Returns to End Longest Government Shutdown in U.S. History
WASHINGTON — After nearly two months of political gridlock and growing national frustration, members of the U.S. House of Representatives are set to return to Washington on Wednesday to vote on legislation aimed at reopening the federal government. The shutdown, now in its 43rd day, marks the longest in American history, and the pending vote could finally bring it to a close.
The Senate passed the measure on Monday night, with limited bipartisan support, and President Donald Trump has already called it a “very big victory.” The Republican-led House is expected to follow suit, but with attendance still uncertain due to the travel disruptions caused by the shutdown itself, every vote could count.
Political Fallout and Partisan Divide
The House last held a legislative session on September 19, when lawmakers approved a short-term funding measure to keep the government open into October. Afterward, Speaker Mike Johnson dismissed the chamber, shifting responsibility to the Senate. Since then, Democratic leaders have blasted Republicans for leaving town while federal employees went unpaid, airports faced staffing shortages, and food assistance programs lapsed.
Speaker Johnson defended the move, stating that members were performing essential work in their districts. Now back in session, the House is under pressure to pass the Senate’s version of the bill.
However, the legislation lacks key provisions demanded by Democrats, notably the renewal of Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits set to expire at year’s end. As a result, Democratic leaders, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, signaled strong opposition.
“Our strong expectation is that Democrats will be strongly opposed,” Jeffries said Tuesday night.
Despite the pushback, Johnson framed the bill as a turning point. “Our long national nightmare is finally coming to an end,” he declared. “Some Senate Democrats finally stepped forward to end the pain.”
Details of the Shutdown Compromise
The Senate-passed measure is a compromise that funds three bipartisan annual spending bills and extends government funding through January 30. In exchange, Republicans have pledged to allow a vote on the ACA tax credit extension by mid-December, although passage is far from guaranteed.
Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, who voted in favor of the bill, acknowledged the measure’s shortcomings but noted that it at least preserves a path for addressing health care concerns.
The legislation also reverses recent layoffs of federal workers and protects their jobs through the end of January. It includes provisions to ensure workers receive back pay once the shutdown concludes.
Notably, the bill provides full-year funding for the Agriculture Department, ensuring food assistance programs remain operational for the rest of the fiscal year. That’s a crucial development for millions of low-income families relying on these benefits.
Additional funding measures include $203.5 million to improve security for lawmakers and another $28 million to boost protection for Supreme Court justices.
Legal Controversies and Surveillance Concerns
Democrats have also raised alarms over a provision allowing senators to sue federal agencies or employees who search their electronic records without proper notice. Some see this clause as tailored to benefit Republican lawmakers seeking legal recourse if their communications were examined by the FBI during investigations into Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Jeffries condemned the provision and vowed political consequences. “We’re going to tattoo that provision… on the foreheads of every single House Republican who dares vote for this bill,” he said.
Several high-profile Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Bernie Sanders, opposed the bill. Schumer said he could not support it in “good faith” after lengthy discussions with his caucus. Sanders called it a “horrific mistake,” and Senator Chris Murphy added that it betrayed the trust of voters who recently backed Democrats in local elections.
Health Care Battle to Resume in December
The contentious debate over health care tax credits is far from over. Without renewal, ACA subsidies—originally expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic—will expire, driving up insurance premiums for millions.
Some Republicans have expressed willingness to extend the credits but want changes, including stricter eligibility limits. Senator Susan Collins of Maine supports extending the subsidies with new income caps. Some Democrats have signaled openness to compromise.
“We do need to act by the end of the year, and that is exactly what the majority leader has promised,” Collins said.
Other Republicans, including Trump, have used the debate to renew their broader critique of the ACA and call for its repeal or overhaul.
The Senate already voted 53–47 along party lines not to extend the tax credits as part of this week’s bill. That decision sets the stage for a high-stakes negotiation in December, with real-world consequences for millions of Americans.
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