Government Shutdown Vote Anticipated in House

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) has indicated that the House may vote to address the government shutdown as soon as Wednesday. This information comes from reports citing conversations within House Republican leadership.

On a conference call held late Monday morning, Republican leaders urged their members to make plans to return to Washington quickly for the expected vote, which they believe will take just one day to finalize before the session resumes fully on November 17.

“We plan to vote and be here by at least Wednesday,” Johnson mentioned. “Things might shift a bit later in the week, but for now, we’re aiming for Wednesday. It’s important for everyone to be present.”

Initially, he said the earliest they could expect a vote would be Wednesday morning, but then adjusted his estimate to later in the afternoon or evening due to some members’ prior commitments.

Senate Democrats Facilitate Government Reopening

To meet Johnson’s timeline, some House members may need to adjust their district events in honor of Veterans Day on Tuesday. One Republican noted he was planning to fly to D.C. on Wednesday morning due to a significant veterans event the previous day.

Johnson has made it clear that the House won’t rush the bill through by bypassing rules, which would require a two-thirds majority for passage instead.

Bipartisan Support for Reopening Government

Sources have mentioned that the House Rules Committee could review the bill as early as Tuesday, which is not surprising given the opposition from House Democrats.

Several Democratic members have also pledged to vote against the bill, citing the lack of provisions to extend enhanced pandemic-era Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year.

If the current pace continues, the House might send a bill to end the government shutdown to President Trump by Wednesday night. However, much of this relies on how things unfold in the Senate. Recently, eight Democrats teamed up with Republicans to try and break the Senate’s filibuster, which has been ongoing for over 40 days.

With a few votes remaining, there are still procedural challenges that could delay progress. The proposal might be activated by Monday night, provided all senators agree to expedite the process. If not, it could be stalled in the Senate for several more days.

Senate Minority Leader John Thune expressed optimism that they could complete the task on Monday night but noted the matter is largely contingent on Senate Democrats.

Thune remarked on the situation, stating, “Sure, there’s some pushback from the left, but as long as we have the votes, we’re pressing ahead. Hopefully, it will proceed without significant disruptions or issues.” He emphasized the importance of reopening the government as soon as feasible.

On the other hand, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer refrained from commenting on whether he would obstruct any Democrat attempts to move things forward, while attributing the ongoing shutdown—now entering its 41st day—to President Trump and the Republican Party.

It’s still uncertain whether Senate Democrats have a unified strategy to block the bill. Meanwhile, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) mentioned that he hadn’t perceived any opposition during a closed session of the Democratic caucus.