House Prepares for Critical Vote to End Historic Government Shutdown

Wed Nov 12 2025 15:45:42 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The US House of Representatives is set to vote on a budget plan to end the longest government shutdown in history, as lawmakers return to Washington amid mounting pressure and bipartisan division.

As the US government shutdown enters day 42, the House is poised for a critical vote on a Senate-approved budget that would fund federal agencies for the next two months. Despite confidence from Republican leadership, broader Democratic opposition signals significant challenges ahead. Intended to alleviate the ongoing financial strain on federal workers and public services, the legislation may ultimately face further hurdles in future appropriations.

A budget that would end the longest shutdown in US history is heading to the House of Representatives for a crunch vote on Wednesday.

On day 42 of the impasse, representatives are returning to Washington to decide whether to approve a Senate package that would fund federal agencies for two months.

Republican leadership expressed confidence the spending plan would clear the lower chamber of Congress, despite their narrow majority. But top Democrats vowed to oppose it.

President Donald Trump has indicated he will sign it into law. We're opening up our country, he said on Tuesday at a Veterans Day event in Arlington, Virginia. Should have never been closed.

The shutdown, which began on 1 October, has left a million federal workers unpaid, halted food stamps for low-income Americans, and delayed air travel for flyers ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.

With nearly 1,200 flights cancelled on Tuesday as unpaid air traffic controllers call in sick because of the funding deadlock, lawmakers are finding other ways to reach Washington.

Congressman Rick Crawford of Arkansas posted on X that he was carpooling with fellow Republican, Trent Kelly of Mississippi, to the nation's capital.

Congressman Derrick Van Orden said he was riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle from Wisconsin. It's going to be a little chilly, he posted on X of the 16-hour trip. But I will do my duty.

The House Rules Committee advanced the bill in a procedural party-line vote by 8-4 in the early hours of Wednesday morning, capping a seven-hour session.

Republicans on the panel brushed aside Democratic amendments seeking to extend expiring health insurance subsidies - their main demand during the impasse.

The chamber is expected to reconvene at 16:00 EST (21:00 GMT) to hold one hour of debate on the legislation before a vote.

House Democratic minority leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York vowed to fight the bill, stating, We're strongly opposed as House Democrats to this reckless Republican effort to continue to raise the high cost of living on everyday Americans, he told CNN.

A central demand of Democrats has been for Republicans to attach to the spending bill a provision to extend tax credits that make health insurance less expensive for 24 million Americans. However, Republicans remain united in their refusal to budge on the matter.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has kept the House out of session for 53 days to pile pressure on Senate Democrats to agree to a shutdown compromise.

Once a vote is held on Wednesday, the budget leaves the federal government on course to keep adding about $1.8 trillion a year to its $38 trillion in debt.

Importantly, if the current bill passes, lawmakers would have just two months to avert the next shutdown, which is due to expire on 30 January.

This persistent legislative struggle indicates that neither party has emerged politically unscathed from the ongoing crisis, with voters slightly placing the blame on Republicans for the current impasse.