Ask Onix
US shutdown nears end as House prepares crunch vote on Senate budget deal
Lawmakers in the US House of Representatives will vote Wednesday on a two-month federal funding package, aiming to end the nation's longest government shutdown after 42 days of political deadlock. The Senate-approved measure now faces a razor-thin Republican majority, though President Donald Trump has signaled he will sign it into law.
Shutdown toll mounts as vote looms
The impasse, which began October 1, has left roughly one million federal employees without paychecks, disrupted food assistance programs for low-income families, and caused widespread travel delays. Nearly 1,200 flights were canceled Tuesday as unpaid air traffic controllers called in sick, prompting some lawmakers to take extraordinary measures to reach Washington.
Republican Representative Rick Crawford of Arkansas shared on X that he carpooled with Mississippi colleague Trent Kelly, while Wisconsin's Derrick Van Orden posted about riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle for a 16-hour trip to the capital. "It's going to be a little chilly," he wrote. "But I will do my duty."
Procedural hurdles cleared amid partisan divide
The House Rules Committee advanced the bill in a party-line 8-4 vote early Wednesday after a seven-hour session, rejecting Democratic amendments to extend expiring health insurance subsidies-a key sticking point. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) condemned the bill as "reckless," accusing Republicans of exacerbating economic strain on Americans.
"We're strongly opposed as House Democrats to this reckless Republican effort to continue to raise the high cost of living on everyday Americans," Jeffries told CNN.
Republicans, however, held firm, offering only a December vote on healthcare subsidies-a concession they had proposed weeks earlier. Senate Democrats had joined Republicans Monday to pass the spending plan, frustrating House Democrats who saw their leverage diminish.
Narrow majority tests Johnson's leadership
With the House set to reconvene at 16:00 EST (21:00 GMT) for one hour of debate, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) faces a precarious vote. The chamber's Republican majority will shrink to just five seats-219-214-after Democrat Adelita Grijalva of Arizona is sworn in Wednesday, replacing a vacant seat. Johnson can afford to lose only two Republican votes on party-line decisions.
While fiscal conservatives like Texas's Chip Roy reported "no opposition of significance" from the House Freedom Caucus, potential defectors Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Victoria Spartz (R-IN) remained noncommittal. Analysts suggest Johnson could still secure passage with support from moderate Democrats like Maine's Jared Golden or Texas's Henry Cuellar.
Debt concerns linger as temporary fix advances
The stopgap budget extends current spending levels through January 30 but does nothing to address the nation's $38 trillion debt, which grows by roughly $1.8 trillion annually. Both parties now face a two-month deadline to negotiate a longer-term solution-or risk another shutdown.
Political fallout and next steps
Polling indicates voters blame Republicans slightly more for the shutdown, though Democrats also face internal divisions over the brinkmanship. Trump, speaking at a Veterans Day event in Arlington, Virginia, declared, "We're opening up our country. Should have never been closed."
If approved, the bill would restore federal operations just days before the Thanksgiving travel rush. Yet with funding set to expire again in late January, appropriators must quickly resume negotiations to avoid a repeat crisis.
