Congress Ends 43-Day Government Shutdown with Bipartisan Bill, Leaving One Signature Away from Closure
In a surprise move, the US House of Representatives voted to pass a bipartisan government funding bill late Wednesday night, ending a 43-day standoff that left thousands of federal workers without pay and millions more uncertain about their jobs. The bill now heads to President Joe Biden's desk for signature, leaving lawmakers one Donald Trump signature away from ending the longest shutdown in U.S. history.
The package includes full funding for the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Veterans Affairs, military construction, and the legislative branch, as well as temporary relief for government employees who were furloughed or forced to work without pay. The bill also extends Obamacare subsidies through the end of January, although there's no guarantee that it will pass the Senate without changes.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) touted the bill's passage, saying that Republican lawmakers "operated in good faith" throughout the shutdown and promised to "reopen the government and work towards a better future for all Americans." However, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) disputed this characterization, saying that Republicans showed no interest in making life better for American citizens, particularly when it came to extending subsidies for healthcare.
Jeffries argued that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege reserved for the wealthy and well-connected. His party's opposition to the bill was largely driven by their insistence on extending Obamacare subsidies, which expire at the end of the year and would lead to skyrocketing premiums for millions of Americans if left unaddressed.
The shutdown began on October 1st, but a dramatic shift in power occurred last week when eight Senate Democrats agreed to join Republicans in passing the funding bill. This sudden about-face caught many off guard, including some within Jeffries's own party, who felt that their colleagues had caved under pressure from Republican negotiators.
Despite this, the deal now appears close to being finalized, with House lawmakers voting 222-209 on the package and Senators giving it final passage just days ago. While there are still many questions about what will happen next, one thing is clear: the US government has taken a huge step towards closure, leaving behind only one signature away from restoring full operations.
In a surprise move, the US House of Representatives voted to pass a bipartisan government funding bill late Wednesday night, ending a 43-day standoff that left thousands of federal workers without pay and millions more uncertain about their jobs. The bill now heads to President Joe Biden's desk for signature, leaving lawmakers one Donald Trump signature away from ending the longest shutdown in U.S. history.
The package includes full funding for the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Veterans Affairs, military construction, and the legislative branch, as well as temporary relief for government employees who were furloughed or forced to work without pay. The bill also extends Obamacare subsidies through the end of January, although there's no guarantee that it will pass the Senate without changes.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) touted the bill's passage, saying that Republican lawmakers "operated in good faith" throughout the shutdown and promised to "reopen the government and work towards a better future for all Americans." However, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) disputed this characterization, saying that Republicans showed no interest in making life better for American citizens, particularly when it came to extending subsidies for healthcare.
Jeffries argued that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege reserved for the wealthy and well-connected. His party's opposition to the bill was largely driven by their insistence on extending Obamacare subsidies, which expire at the end of the year and would lead to skyrocketing premiums for millions of Americans if left unaddressed.
The shutdown began on October 1st, but a dramatic shift in power occurred last week when eight Senate Democrats agreed to join Republicans in passing the funding bill. This sudden about-face caught many off guard, including some within Jeffries's own party, who felt that their colleagues had caved under pressure from Republican negotiators.
Despite this, the deal now appears close to being finalized, with House lawmakers voting 222-209 on the package and Senators giving it final passage just days ago. While there are still many questions about what will happen next, one thing is clear: the US government has taken a huge step towards closure, leaving behind only one signature away from restoring full operations.
. Like, can't believe it took this long for them to get their act together 
. The package is pretty comprehensive, includes funding for key departments and temporary relief for furloughed employees 
.
. I mean, it's a start, but we all know how partisan politics can get in the way 
. Speaker Mike Johnson's trying to spin this as a good thing, but House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is not having it 
. He's right to call out Republicans for showing no interest in helping everyday Americans.
. Hopefully, they can find common ground and get the government up and running smoothly again 
. One signature away from closure - gotta keep those fingers crossed 
!
just glad it's finally over... shutdowns like this make me question how we can be so divided on stuff that affects everyone 
and what's the point of having bipartisan bills if they're just gonna get stuck in limbo waiting for one guy's signature? 
I'm kinda relieved that this whole shutdown drama has finally come to an end... for now 
. And at the same time, I can see why the Republicans might want to keep it temporary... not wanting to scare off employers with higher premiums 
.
. One less hurdle to clear! 
the whole shutdown thing was literally stressing me out and i had no idea what was going on 
. I think its awesome that 8 Senate Dems decided 2 join forces w/ Republicans - it shows u can get things done even if ur not all on the same page 
. I mean, it's not like they're making any actual progress or anything. Just a bunch of politicians playing games to get ahead in the next election cycle 
. The fact that Republicans were so opposed to extending those Obamacare subsidies for healthcare just shows you what a mess it can get when politics gets in the way 
.