House Speaker Calls for Reopening Government
In Washington, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) has requested that the House reconvene on Wednesday. The goal is to approve a stopgap funding bill meant to bring an end to the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. However, there’s some pushback from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and certain Republicans who are not in favor of specific aspects of the bill.
If all goes as planned, voting could kick off around 4 p.m. on Wednesday, following the swearing-in of incoming Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), increasing the Democratic count to 214. Party leaders, however, don’t anticipate any defections from their ranks.
Jeffries expressed strong opposition to any Republican measure that fails to adequately tackle the ongoing health care crisis, stating his concerns clearly during a CNN interview. “We want our government to reopen,” he added, emphasizing the importance of supporting federal workers and ensuring that Affordable Care Act tax credits are extended.
With Republicans holding a slim majority of 219 votes in the House, they can afford only two “no” votes before risking dilution of the funding proposal within their own party.
A spokesperson for Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) mentioned that his stance remains unchanged since he previously voted with Republicans to advance the funding bill in September, before Senate Democrats triggered the shutdown and provided Republicans with some breathing room.
House Speaker Johnson also highlighted the urgent situation regarding travel delays, noting that a significant number of domestic flights were affected. He urged all representatives, regardless of party affiliation, to return to Capitol Hill promptly to resolve the issues at hand.
In light of these developments, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced measures to reduce flight operations in U.S. airspace by 6%, addressing concerns regarding overworked air traffic control departments.
On Monday, the Senate passed an amended funding bill with a vote of 60-40, which includes stopgap spending for various government departments through January 30, 2026, along with other items such as military construction and consistent funding for federal food assistance and veterans’ services.
Before the bill moves forward, House lawmakers will review the amendments within the Republican-led Rules Committee, which may allow for additional changes to be proposed.
Rep. Thomas Massey, who serves on the Rules Committee, plans to push for language prohibiting marijuana within the funding bill, after a related attempt by Sen. Rand Paul in the Senate did not succeed.
Concerns have been raised about whether the Rules Committee will entertain any amendments, indicated a spokesperson for Massey. While Paul’s previous amendment saw significant support, it’s uncertain how the hemp prohibition would be received in the House, given the mixed reactions from Republicans in the Senate.
Following the discussions in the Rules Committee, Jeffries suggested that Democrats could push for a vote on extending the Affordable Care Act subsidies as well.
Jeffries remarked that the majority of Senate Democrats, under Chuck Schumer’s leadership, have consistently opposed partisan Republican funding bills throughout recent weeks.
In a later Fox News interview, Trump commented on Schumer’s efforts, claiming he underestimated the Republican resolve.
House Democrats had previously dismissed the funding proposal on September 19, citing concerns over the absence of Obamacare tax credits. The ongoing shutdown, which commenced on October 1, was extended significantly until certain Democratic senators sided with Republicans to pass an amended bill that didn’t include the health insurance credit extensions, but did allow for the reversal of federal workforce layoffs.
All furloughed federal employees, as well as those who worked without pay, will be reimbursed. It’s anticipated that Trump will sign the bill once it secures passage.
Johnson reiterated the stance that using government access as leverage for political aims is unjustifiable, reflecting on historical patterns that show shutdowns yield no beneficial outcomes.
