WASHINGTON, Nov 12 – After weeks of political gridlock that left millions of Americans feeling the pinch, the U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote Wednesday on a measure that could bring an end to the longest government shutdown in the nation’s history. The stopgap funding package aims to reopen shuttered federal agencies, restore food assistance programs, and ensure paychecks for hundreds of thousands of furloughed government employees.
President Donald Trump has expressed strong support for the bill, which gives Republicans a potential victory as they hold a slim 219-213 majority in the House. Despite his backing, the measure has faced strong resistance from Democrats, who argue that the deal ignores critical issues such as healthcare affordability.
Partisan Divide Over Healthcare and Spending
The funding proposal, already passed in the Senate with the help of eight Democrats crossing party lines, would extend government financing until January 30. While this temporary solution keeps essential services running, it also continues adding roughly $1.8 trillion annually to the already staggering $38 trillion national debt.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican who delayed House proceedings for nearly two months as a negotiation tactic, urged lawmakers to put aside political differences for the sake of stability. Johnson urged lawmakers on Tuesday to set aside politics, reflect deeply, and make what he called the morally right choice for the country.
Democrats, however, remain deeply frustrated. Many had hoped their recent election victories in New Jersey, Virginia, and New York City would strengthen their bargaining position in pushing for an extension of federal healthcare subsidies. Instead, they see the Senate deal as a missed opportunity, offering little progress on an issue that directly affects millions of working families.
The Senate compromise does include a promise for a December vote on healthcare subsidies, but Johnson has not made any similar commitment in the House. That omission has fueled further outrage among Democrats, who say the agreement fails to address the nation’s mounting healthcare challenges.
“Donald Trump and Republicans believe the affordability crisis in America is made up,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote in a social media post. “That’s why these extremists haven’t done a damn thing to lower the high cost of living. The American people deserve better.”
If the measure passes, it will go to the president’s desk for his signature. Trump, celebrating the Senate approval earlier this week, called the move “a very big victory” and urged House Republicans to remain united behind it.
Lingering Controversies and Broader Implications
Beyond reopening the government, the upcoming vote could also set the stage for renewed political battles. Once the funding crisis is resolved, House leaders may soon confront another contentious issue: whether to release unclassified records related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
House Speaker Johnson has so far resisted such efforts, though political pressure is growing. On Wednesday, he is scheduled to swear in Adelita Grijalva, who recently won a special election in Arizona to fill the seat of her late father, Representative Raul Grijalva. Her addition to the House is expected to provide the final signature needed to force a vote on releasing the Epstein documents.
This development could once again thrust Congress into a divisive debate involving Trump, who was once associated with Epstein, and the lingering conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein’s 2019 death.
Meanwhile, the funding package itself carries a range of policy measures. It includes three full-year appropriations bills covering military construction, agricultural programs such as food aid for low-income households, and funding for legislative branch operations.
A particularly controversial provision allows eight Republican senators to pursue financial compensation for alleged privacy breaches linked to the Justice Department’s investigation into the January 6 Capitol attack. The legislation retroactively restricts access to lawmakers’ phone data without disclosure and enables those affected to sue the Department of Justice for $500,000 in damages plus legal costs.
Critics have blasted the inclusion of these provisions, calling them politically motivated. Senator Patty Murray, a senior Democratic appropriator, sharply condemned the measure in a public statement, saying, “Not a cent for healthcare, but Republicans wrote in a corrupt cash bonus of at least $500,000 each for eight GOP Senators.”
Despite some dissent among conservatives, the funding bill is widely expected to pass. Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Representative Victoria Spartz of Indiana have signaled opposition, but the influential House Freedom Caucus, known for its hardline stance on spending, appears ready to support the package this time. Representative Andy Harris of Maryland, the group’s chairman, confirmed, “I believe we’re all going to be on board with this.”
The shutdown, now stretching into its 43rd day, has disrupted key government services, from airport security operations to food safety inspections. Economic analysts estimate that the prolonged impasse has already cost billions in lost productivity and delayed federal contracts.
If the House approves the legislation and Trump signs it into law, federal workers could begin returning to their posts by the end of the week, marking a long-awaited end to a bitter chapter in American governance.