Republicans take victory as rally to end House shutdown

Washington – President Trump and Republican lawmakers scored a victory Tuesday after winning bipartisan support for reopening the government, ending the longest shutdown in U.S. history without making concessions to key Democratic demands.

House members gathered in Washington for a final vote expected early Wednesday, after 60 senators — including seven Democrats and one independent — advanced the measure Monday night. Most Democratic lawmakers in the House are expected to oppose the continued resolution, which does not include extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits that were a central demand during the shutdown negotiations.

The result, according to independent analysts, is that premiums for the more than 20 million Americans who work in the health care market will almost double, from an average of $888 to $1,904 for out-of-pocket payments, according to KFF.

Senate Democrats who voted to reopen the government said they had received a promise from Majority Leader John Thune, Republican of South Dakota, that they would get a vote on extending the tax credits next month.

But the vote is likely to fail along party lines. And even if it gets some Republican support, House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, has made no promises that he will vote for the measure in the lower chamber.

The end of the shutdown comes at a critical time for the U.S. airline industry ahead of one of the busiest travel seasons around the Thanksgiving holiday. The prolonged shutdown of the federal government has caused federal workers in the sector to call in sick in large numbers, prompting an unprecedented directive from the Federal Aviation Administration to slow down operations at the country’s major airports.

Lawmakers are racing to vote before federal workers who work on aviation safety lose another paycheck this week, potentially widening frustration in their ranks and causing more delays at airports heading into the next holiday weekend.

It will be the first time the House has held a 50-day legislative session, part of a marathon that has caused delays for lawmakers on a wide range of issues, from appropriations and stock trading rules to a recess petition seeking the release of files in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.

“We look forward to reopening the government this week so that Congress can return to our regular legislative session,” Johnson told reporters Monday. “There will be long days and long nights for the foreseeable future to make up for all this lost time that has been thrust upon us.”

To reopen the government, the spending package must pass the House, where Republicans hold a slim majority and Democrats have vowed to vote against a deal that ignores health care costs.

Still, Trump and Republican leaders believe they have enough votes to push it through the chamber and reopen the government later in the week.

Trump called the spending package a “very good” deal and indicated he would sign it when it reaches his desk.

At a Veterans Day ceremony on Tuesday, Trump thanked Toon and Johnson for their work in reopening the state. Johnson was in the crowd listening to Trump’s remarks.

“I wish you and John and everyone a great victory,” Trump said in a speech at Arlington National Cemetery. “We’re opening our country back up. It should never have been closed.”

While Trump hailed the move as a done deal, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the top Democrat in the chamber, said his party would still try to delay or stop the legislation with whatever means it has left.

“House Democrats will strongly oppose any legislation that does not decisively address the Republican health care crisis,” Jeffries said in a CNN interview Tuesday morning.

As in the Senate, California Democrats are expected to vote against the shutdown deal because it does not address ending health care subsidies.

Representative Nancy Pelosi said the shutdown deal in the Senate “fails to meet the needs of America’s working families” and said she stands with House Democratic leaders in opposing the legislation.

“We must continue to fight for a responsible, bipartisan way to reopen government and Keeping health care affordable for the American people,” Pelosi said in a social media post.

Meanwhile, California Republicans in the House have criticized Democrats for trying to block the passage of the funding agreement.

“These extremists only care about their fundamentalist institutions without affecting America,” Corona representative Ken Calvert said in a social media post.

Rep. Kevin Kelly (R-Rocklin) publicly called on Johnson to talk to Democrats about health care during the shutdown. He said in an interview last month that he thinks there is “a lot of room” to address concerns on both sides of the aisle about how to address rising health care costs.

Kelly said Monday that he is proposing legislation with Rep. Sam Liccardo (D-San José) that would extend the Affordable Care Act tax credit for another two years.

He said the bill would “stop a significant increase in health care costs for the 22 million Americans whose premium tax credits have expired.”

“Importantly, the extension is temporary and fully paid for, so it cannot increase the deficit,” Kelly said, referring to a concern repeated by Republicans.