House Votes to End Partial Government Shutdown
“We’re going to vote,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) on Tuesday morning as the House approached a vote to conclude a three-day partial government shutdown. “There was never any doubt about that.”
And, well, he wasn’t wrong. Republicans managed to secure enough votes to pass a revised spending package to resolve the temporary shutdown, which was a lot shorter than the 43-day standstill experienced last fall.
Yet, it was a complicated process.
Temporary Shutdown Resolved, but New Conflicts Looming
With a thin majority in the House, Republicans faced challenges in moving the bill forward. Procedural matters known as “rules” presented another hurdle. Setting the terms of debate is critical before a bill can be discussed, and discontent among conservative members often turned routine voting into something a bit more chaotic.
“There’s definitely going to be some friction there,” Republican Rep. Kat Cammack of Florida commented.
And she proved to be correct. The process of passing the bill was filled with ups and downs.
Complications in Voting Process
Democrats declared they wouldn’t assist Republicans in passing the rules, contending that this is traditionally the responsibility of the majority party. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) pointed out that while Democrats have stepped in occasionally, it has not been the norm.
As voting commenced, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) immediately voted against the measure, emphasizing the mathematical stakes. With the 218-214 split, Republicans needed all members present to adopt the rules. Two Republican members’ absence led to a tied vote of 216-216, and according to House rules, a tie means a loss.
My colleague Kelly Fares observed the voting process closely from the gallery. Shortly thereafter, Rep. John Rhodes (R-Tenn.) became the second Republican to vote “no.” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) quickly intervened. It was discussed that Republicans intended to attach the SAVE Act, which requires proof of citizenship to vote, to the revised spending bill—this could complicate matters and prolong the shutdown since the House and Senate had escalated disagreements over different bills.
Ultimately, the rules faced failure due to two Republican dissenters and four who hadn’t voted yet: Andy Ogles of Tennessee, Byron Donald of Florida, Troy Nehls of Texas, and Victoria Spartz of Indiana. Republican leaders needed all four undecided votes to sway to “yes,” along with changing the minds of Massie or Rhodes. The vote remained stuck at 216 opposed and 212 in favor.
If this impasse continued, the partial shutdown would extend.
Democrats Shift Stance on Shutdown
Surprisingly, Donald and Spartz later flipped their votes. The results shifted to 214 in favor against 216 against. Nehls soon voted in favor, bringing the tally to 215-216. Massie and Rhodes stood firm in their opposition, while Ogles remained uncertain.
Disappointingly, Rhodes changed his vote back to “yes,” and Ogles eventually supported it. With Rep. GT Thompson, R-Pennsylvania, leading the charge, the vote concluded at 217-215. The House had approved the rules, allowing discussions on the spending plan and ending the shutdown, though Massie remained the lone “no.”
The bill’s passage wasn’t smooth. Initially, those supporting it lagged behind those opposed until the nail-biter vote just managed to pass. Twenty-one Republicans voted against it; however, 21 Democrats joined the other side in support, bridging the gap. If another dissenting member had voted, the tally would have ended up at 216-215, and two more opponents could have caused complete failure.
This marked the end of the second shutdown since the previous fall.
Future Implications of Funding Battles
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) touted that they “fully funded 96% of the federal government,” calling it a significant achievement. However, the remaining 4% concerns the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), where Democrats are insisting on changes before funding runs out.
The deadline for resolution, somewhat humorously, coincides with Valentine’s Day. That’s a romantic backdrop for a government shutdown, right? Yet, it doesn’t seem likely that lawmaker exchanges will include sweet gestures like candy hearts.
On the horizon, discussions around the shutdown of the DHS loom. Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pennsylvania) has made it clear that she wouldn’t mind seeing that happen. Such a move would halt TSA payments and further jeopardize ICE operations, which are becoming increasingly unstable.
Rep. Ed Case (D-Hawaii) cautioned DHS officials to prepare for uncertainty if issues linger unresolved.
Only Time Will Tell
Despite the passage of the recent bill, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Mississippi) reflected the opposition’s sentiments, highlighting it as a moment to express their dissatisfaction. Yet, some Democrats, including former House Minority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), crossed party lines to support reopening the government, considering their constituents.
However, reaching a consensus in the short timeframe seems like a tall order. House and Senate Democrats are poised to announce their specific requests soon, and Republicans are unlikely to concede without their own demands being met, prominently including provisions relating to sanctuary cities and voter identification.
As the clock ticks, lawmakers are faced with the challenge of bridging their differences before the February 13th deadline. Will they manage to make it work in time? It remains uncertain.
