US House Approves Spending Bill, Ending Historic Government Shutdown
The US House of Representatives has passed a federal government spending package, effectively ending the longest government shutdown in United States history. The vote, held late wednesday evening, secured 222 votes in favor – including support from six Democrats – adn 209 against, with two Republicans dissenting. This clears the final congressional hurdle, sending the bill to president Donald Trump for his signature.
The Senate had previously approved the spending package on Monday night with a 60-40 vote, paving the way for the reinstatement of pay for hundreds of thousands of federal workers who have been impacted by the 35-day shutdown. During the shutdown, all non-essential government services were suspended.
The breakthrough followed negotiations over the weekend, resulting in an agreement where seven Democrats and one independent senator agreed to support the spending bill. While the deal temporarily resolves the crisis, it does not address a key point of contention: healthcare subsidies for the 24 million Americans covered under the affordable Care Act, which the Trump administration had sought to reduce.
Democrats had previously blocked the bill’s passage, seeking to leverage the situation to address concerns about healthcare costs for low-income individuals. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson criticized Democrats before the vote, accusing them of using citizens as “leverage” in a “political game” and referencing previous attempts to pass similar resolutions.
As part of the agreement, Senate Republicans have committed to holding a vote on the Affordable Care Act subsidies by December, raising the possibility of another government shutdown in January if a resolution isn’t reached.
The deal has faced criticism from some Democrats,including Illinois Governor JB Pritzker,who labeled the promise of a vote on healthcare subsidies as ”empty.” Experts,like David Smith of the University of Sydney’s United States Studies Center,have also characterized the agreement as a “stopgap arrangement,” highlighting the potential for another shutdown in the near future.
The Democrats who supported the deal in the Senate include Dick Durbin (Illinois), John Fetterman (Pennsylvania), Catherine Cortez Masto and Jackie Rosen (Nevada), Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen (New hampshire), and Tim Kaine (Virginia). Independent Senator Angus King of Maine also voted in favor.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more details becomes available.
