WASHINGTON, D.C. — The House has passed a bill to end the nation’s longest government shutdown, lasting 43 days.
Republicans used their slight majority to get the bill over the finish line by a vote of 222-209.
On Wednesday, the House of Representatives voted on the spending plan passed by the Senate earlier this week.
Just before 7:30 p.m. local time, President Donald Trump signed a bill that ended the shutdown.
The historic 43-day funding lapse saw federal workers go without multiple paychecks, travelers stranded at airports and people lining up at food banks to get a meal for their families.
The bill will fund the government through Jan. 30, pass three appropriation bills, reverse more than 4,000 federal layoffs and prevent additional layoffs through January, according to The Washington Post.
Speaker Mike Johnson had kept the House out of session since mid-September but called lawmakers back to Washington once the Senate passed the bill on Monday night, according to The Associated Press.
The agreement saw a handful of Democratic senators and one independent break party ranks and vote for its passage.
The Republicans have a slim margin in the House and can have only two GOP members voting against the bill’s passage, CNN reported.
Democrats wanted to extend an enhanced tax credit expiring at the end of the year that lowers the cost of health coverage obtained through Affordable Care Act marketplaces. They refused to go along with a short-term spending bill that did not include that priority. But Republicans said that was a separate policy fight to be held at another time. They eventually prevailed, but only after the shutdown took an increasing toll on the country.
During the shutdown, 650,000 federal workers were furloughed and 600,000 more have been working without pay, the Post reported.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
What local lawmakers are saying
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07)
“When Republicans shut down the government on October 1st, House Democrats had one simple demand — protect health care for millions of Americans whose premiums are skyrocketing.
For 43 days, Democrats held the line to demand that Republicans cancel the cuts and lower healthcare costs for Americans, who are seeing their health care premiums double and triple, nursing homes set to close, and massive cuts to Medicaid and food assistance. For 43 days, Republicans showed exactly what extreme cruelty looks like: illegally refusing to fund basic food assistance for 42 million Americans or to do anything to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.
“Today’s bill does absolutely nothing to address rising health care costs, while at the same time tucking in a provision that allows eight Republican Senators to get a million dollars each from a giant slush fund at the same time that Americans face higher costs on everything from groceries to healthcare.
“I join Americans who are furious and outraged about the crisis of cruelty and corruption that Donald Trump and his cult party of Republicans are inflicting on the American people. Everyone — from federal workers who were illegally threatened to not even receive backpay to the families who are still waiting for SNAP payments — suffered and took great risks because they knew we needed to stand up to the authoritarianism of this administration and the outrageous cruelty of a Republican Party that won’t even fight for their own constituents’ lives. Health care is not a Democratic or Republican issue — it affects everyone. And in the richest country in the world, no one should have to choose between food and healthcare, or rent and cancer treatments.
“I will never give up the fight for every single American’s health care. That’s exactly why I voted Hell NO.”
Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02):
“This resolution to the government shutdown allows health care costs to skyrocket for 26,000 people I represent and rips health care away from 8,000 people I represent. Instead of fixing the Republican health care crisis, it fails to permanently extend Medicare telehealth flexibilities that seniors rely on, does nothing to roll back the Big Ugly Law’s devastating cuts to Medicaid and lets several Republican Senators enrich themselves with taxpayer dollars.
“Rising costs under the Trump administration are forcing people in Northwest Washington state to choose between going to the doctor, paying rent and feeding their kids. I will keep fighting alongside House Democrats to make health care accessible and affordable, and lower the cost of living for hardworking families.
“Now that the shutdown is ending, it is time to ensure air traffic controllers, aviation safety inspectors, TSA workers and all federal employees get the backpay they deserve as soon as possible. The President’s attack on air traffic controllers’ patriotism this week was unhinged — they deserve unconditional gratitude and compensation for the essential work they do to keep our skies safe. I am committed to rapidly unwinding the major disruptions the traveling public has been put through due to the Republican shutdown.”
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03)
“Tonight, I voted to end this partisan car crash of a shutdown. Nobody likes paying even more money to insurance companies – and the fight to stop runaway health insurance premiums won’t be won by holding hungry Americans hostage. Americans can’t afford for their Representatives to get so caught up in landing a partisan win that they abandon their obligation to come together to solve the urgent problems that our nation faces.”
“The last several weeks have been a case study in why most Americans can’t stand Congress. None of my friends who rely on SNAP would want to trade their dinner for an ambiguous D.C. beltway ‘messaging victory’ and I’m glad this ugly scene is in the rearview mirror.”
“Now, it’s time for Congress to get back to work and build an economy where people aren’t yanked around by partisan interests, where we understand national health doesn’t come from insurance coverage – and reestablish a truly deliberative democracy. I’ll work with whoever is necessary to reach those goals – and I don’t give a damn which side of the aisle they sit on.”
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