The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on a budget package aiming to conclude the current government shutdown, which has lasted 43 days. The proposed legislation, previously approved by the Senate, would allocate funding for federal agencies for a two-month period.
Shutdown Context
The shutdown, which began on October 1, has resulted in approximately one million federal workers being unpaid, disruptions in food assistance programs for low-income citizens, and delays in air travel. On Tuesday, nearly 1,200 flights were canceled due to air traffic controllers calling in sick, which some linked to the funding impasse. Members of Congress utilized various travel methods to return to Washington for the vote, including carpooling and motorcycling.
Legislative Process and Positions
The House Rules Committee advanced the bill early Wednesday morning through an 8-4 party-line vote. During the seven-hour session, Republican members on the panel declined Democratic amendments that sought to extend expiring health insurance subsidies. The House is anticipated to reconvene at 16:00 EST (21:00 GMT) for a one-hour debate prior to the vote.
House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (New York) stated his party's strong opposition to the bill, describing it as a "reckless Republican effort to continue to raise the high cost of living on everyday Americans." Jeffries also expressed dissatisfaction with Senate Democrats who supported the spending plan earlier.
Key Demands and Concessions
A primary demand from Democrats during the shutdown has been the inclusion of provisions to extend tax credits, which reduce health insurance costs for 24 million Americans. Republicans maintained a unified stance against this, agreeing only to a potential vote on the healthcare subsidies in December. The passage of such a measure in the Senate is not guaranteed, and House Speaker Mike Johnson has not committed to a vote on the tax credits in the House.
House Dynamics
Speaker Johnson maintained the House out of session for 53 days, a move that placed pressure on Senate Democrats to reach a shutdown compromise. Before the vote, Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva (Arizona), a Democrat, was sworn in. This reduces the Republican majority in the House to 219-214, leaving Speaker Johnson with a margin of two votes on party-line legislation.
The budget proposal would contribute approximately $1.8 trillion (£1.4 trillion) annually to the existing national debt of $38 trillion. Representative Chip Roy (Texas) indicated that significant opposition to the bill from fiscal conservatives within the House Freedom Caucus was not apparent. The voting intentions of potential Republican dissenters, such as Thomas Massie (Kentucky) and Victoria Spartz (Indiana), remained undisclosed. However, the bill could still pass with support from moderate Democrats, including Jared Golden (Maine) or Henry Cuellar (Texas), should some Republicans defect.
Outlook
Both major parties have faced political challenges during this legislative dispute. Polling data suggests that Republicans are perceived to bear slightly more responsibility for the shutdown. Following the conclusion of the current shutdown, lawmakers will have two months to prevent another funding lapse, as government funding is set to expire again on January 30.