House Republicans moved to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history as lawmakers prepared a late-night vote on a stopgap funding measure, with procedural action scheduled in the early evening and a final floor vote expected later the same night. The shutdown has stretched on for weeks, pinching services and workers while talks over policy priorities kept both sides stuck. A narrow GOP majority and a handful of Senate compromises set the stage for a high-stakes push to reopen government and restore pay and services.
The House planned a procedural vote around 5 p.m. to allow debate, followed by a final vote roughly two hours later, and leaders were racing to assemble the support needed to clear the chamber. Timing mattered because federal operating authority and critical benefits were running out, and every hour the halls stayed dark meant more Americans felt the effects. Republicans framed the effort as a responsible step to resume essential funding while negotiations over longer-term bills continued.
After 43 days of shutdown, the disruption had real consequences at airports and in communities that depend on federal programs. Many air traffic controllers and TSA agents worked without pay and scrambled for second jobs, producing delays and cancellations at major hubs. Millions of recipients of federal benefits faced uncertainty as programs teetered on expired authority, turning the shutdown into a tangible public pain point.
On Capitol Hill, Republican backers signaled a near-unity vote, with Freedom Caucus Policy Chairman Chip Roy saying he had heard little resistance among fiscal conservatives. “I’m not going to speak for everybody, but I think there’s general support. So you know, I’m unaware of any opposition of significance,” he told reporters. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole echoed that optimism, adding, “Nothing’s ever easy around here. But, look, I didn’t notice any dissent … I think the votes will be there on our side.”
Leadership stressed the margins were tight and every Republican counted, since the GOP can only afford to lose two votes without relying on Democrats to pass the measure. Rank-and-file members weighed both the political optics and the practical impact of keeping funding stalled. Still, the message from many Republicans was clear: reopen the government and keep policy fights separate from the must-pass appropriations process.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise voiced confidence about the outcome and aimed pressure on Democrats to cooperate. “I’m very hopeful,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told Fox News Digital when asked if Republicans had the votes to pass the bill. “I think you’re seeing just a few Democrats come to their senses. It should be a lot more.”
The core dispute driving the impasse centered on enhanced Obamacare subsidies that were set to expire at year’s end, which Democratic leaders insisted be tacked onto a funding bill. Democrats argued the subsidies kept premiums lower and needed immediate protection, while Republicans refused to turn a short-term funding vehicle into a vehicle for major policy concessions. GOP negotiators offered to engage on health-care reform in separate talks, but they declined to surrender appropriations leverage for a partisan demand.
After stalemate in the upper chamber, a bipartisan Senate compromise emerged that extended fiscal year 2025 funding into late January to buy time for broader negotiations. The package advanced funding for agencies like Agriculture, FDA, Veterans Affairs, and military construction, and it also reversed certain October layoffs while ensuring back pay for affected federal workers. A separate Senate agreement secured Democratic support for a vote on extending enhanced subsidies, though House leaders have not committed to the same path.
If the House approved the plan, the bill would head straight to the President for signature, closing the chapter on weeks of halted operations. The White House framed the Senate action positively and emphasized that the administration wanted the government reopened from day one. “President Trump has wanted the government reopened since the first day Democrats shut it down. The action in the Senate is a positive development, and we look forward to seeing it progress.”
Graduate Student, wife, engaged political and legal writer.