A decisive vote is expected in the US House of Representatives on Wednesday to approve a budget bill that could end the country’s longest-ever government shutdown, now in its 42nd day.
Lawmakers are returning to Washington to consider a Senate-approved package that would fund federal agencies for two months. Republican leaders say they are confident the measure will pass despite their slim majority, while top Democrats have vowed to oppose it.
President Donald Trump has indicated he will sign the bill once it reaches his desk. “We’re opening up our country,” he said during a Veterans Day event in Arlington, Virginia. “Should have never been closed.”
The shutdown, which began on October 1, has left one million federal workers without pay, disrupted food assistance programs, and caused major air travel delays. On Tuesday, nearly 1,200 flights were cancelled as unpaid air traffic controllers called in sick due to the ongoing funding standoff.
Some lawmakers, facing travel disruptions, found creative ways to reach Washington. Congressman Rick Crawford of Arkansas said he was carpooling with a colleague, while Wisconsin’s Derrick Van Orden rode his Harley Davidson motorcycle to the capital for the 16-hour journey, saying he would “do his duty.”
The House Rules Committee advanced the bill early Wednesday after a seven-hour debate, rejecting Democratic amendments that sought to extend health insurance subsidies — one of the party’s main demands.
A vote is expected to follow an hour-long debate starting at 4:00 p.m. EST (9:00 p.m. GMT). House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries has called the Republican-backed plan “reckless,” arguing it raises living costs for ordinary Americans.
Democrats had demanded that Republicans attach a provision to extend tax credits reducing healthcare costs for 24 million Americans, but GOP leaders refused, only agreeing to revisit the issue in December.
Once Arizona’s newly elected Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva is sworn in, the Republican majority will narrow to just five votes — 219 to 214 — giving Speaker Mike Johnson limited room for dissent. Still, moderates from both parties could ensure the bill passes.
The budget would add roughly $1.8 trillion annually to the nation’s $38 trillion debt. Despite this, fiscal conservatives appear unlikely to block it.
Polls show both parties have suffered political damage during the shutdown, though Republicans are blamed slightly more. If approved, the deal would reopen the government, but only temporarily — another funding deadline looms on January 30.
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