US House of Representatives passes bill to end government shutdown

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson talks with reporters outside his office at the US Capitol (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

The US House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday to end the nation’s longest government shutdown, sending the measure to President Donald Trump for his signature after a 43-day funding lapse.

House members made their long-awaited return to the nation’s capital this week after nearly eight weeks away, with Republicans using their narrow majority to get the bill over the finish line by a vote of 222-209.

The Senate has already passed the measure, which Mr Trump has called a “very big victory”.

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters  in the Oval Office of the White House (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

Democrats wanted to extend an enhanced tax credit expiring at the end of the year which lowers the cost of health coverage obtained through Affordable Care Act marketplaces.

They refused to go along with a short-term spending bill that did not include that priority. But Republicans said that was a separate policy fight to be held at another time.

Reoublicans eventually prevailed, but only after the shutdown took an increasing toll on the country.

“We told you 43 days ago from bitter experience that government shutdowns don’t work,” said representative Tom Cole, the Republican chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

“They never achieve the objective that you announce. And guess what? You haven’t achieved that objective yet, and you’re not going to.”

The shutdown magnified the stark partisan divisions within Congress, and that split screen was reflected during the debate on the House floor.

Republicans said Democrats sought to use the pain generated by the shutdown to prevail in a policy dispute.

Democrats said Republicans raced to pass tax breaks earlier this year that they say mostly will benefit the wealthy, but the bill before the House on Wednesday “leaves families twisting in the wind with zero guarantee there will ever, ever be a vote to extend tax credits to help everyday people pay for their health care,” said representative Jim McGovern.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries before the House voted on a bill to reopen the government  (Jose Luis Magana/AP)

Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said Democrats would not give up, even if the vote did not go their way.

“This fight is not over,” Mr Jeffries said. “We’re just getting started.”

The House had not been in legislative session since September 19, when it passed a short-term measure to keep the government open when the new budget year began in October.

House speaker Mike Johnson sent members home after that vote and put the onus on the Senate to act, saying House Republicans had done their job.

Mr Johnson said the Democratic opposition to the spending bill was pointless, adding “it was wrong, it was cruel”.

“They knew it would cause pain and they did it anyway,” Mr Johnson said.

The legislation included buy-in from eight senators who broke ranks with the Democrats after reaching the conclusion that Republicans would not bend on using a government funding to bill to extend the health care tax credits.

The compromise funds three annual spending bills and extends the rest of government funding through January 30.

Republicans promised to hold a vote by mid-December to extend the health care subsidies, but there is no guarantee of success.

The legislation includes a reversal of the firing of federal workers by the Trump administration since the shutdown began.

It also protects federal workers against further layoffs through January and guarantees they are paid once the shutdown is over.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson holds a ceremonial swearing-in for Representative Adelita Grijalv before the debate (J Scott Applewhite/AP)

The bill for the Agriculture Department means people who rely on key food assistance programmes will see those benefits funded without threat of interruption through the rest of the budget year.

Democrats are also seizing on language that would allow senators to sue when a federal agency or employee searches their electronic records without notifying them, allowing for up to 500,000 dollars (£381,180) in potential damages for each violation.

Democrats called for the removal of the provision.

The language seems aimed at helping Republican senators pursue damages if their phone records were analysed by the FBI as part of an investigation into Mr Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.

The provisions drew criticism from Republicans as well.

Representative Austin Scott said he has already introduced repeal legislation that he hoped would be voted on quickly.

The biggest point of contention, though, was the fate of the expiring enhanced tax credit that makes health insurance more affordable through Affordable Care Act marketplaces.

Representative Nancy Pelosi said the enhanced tax credit was designed to give more people access to health care, but no Republicans voted for it.

“All they have done is try to eliminate access to health care in our country. The country is catching on to them,” Ms Pelosi said.