U.S. Government Shutdown Countdown Ends: House to Vote on Temporary Funding Bill Wednesday Night

The U.S. House of Representatives will vote on a temporary funding bill on Wednesday night, Eastern Time. House Republicans revealed that the final vote will likely take place around 7 p.m. Eastern. This means that the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history, now in its 43rd day, is about to come to an end.

House Republican leader Steve Scalise said that although the Republican majority is slim, they expect enough support from Democratic representatives to pass the bill. The Senate approved the bill on Monday, which will fund the government through January 30 next year and provide back pay to federal employees affected by the shutdown. President Trump has stated he will sign the bill.

The White House Office of Management and Budget issued a statement supporting the bill, calling it "the final end to the longest government shutdown in history, imposed on the American people by Congressional Democrats." White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the White House is "very hopeful" the shutdown will end on Wednesday night, and blamed the Democrats for the economic losses.

This six-week stalemate forced government employees to take leave, shut down all federal government activities, paused nutrition assistance programs, and worsened airport delays. Both parties have blamed each other for the crisis. Polls show voters mostly blame the Republicans, but Democratic responsibility has reached its highest in 30 years.

Voting Procedure and Timing

The House will begin related procedures at 4 p.m. Eastern. Scalise told the media:

"We may start the procedure around 4 or 5 p.m. The vote on the government funding bill may actually take place later, around 7 p.m."

According to a notice from the office of House Republican Whip Tom Emmer, obtained by media, the final funding bill vote is expected to begin between 7 and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The House will convene at 4 p.m. to hold an oath ceremony for newly elected Democratic Representative Adelita Grijalva, followed by debate on the final bill's rules. The rules vote is expected between 5 and 5:30 p.m. Once the rule passes, the House will begin formal debate on the government funding bill. House Republican leaders expect the final vote to take place in the 7 p.m. time slot.

Republican Advancement Plan

Scalise said Wednesday that House Republican leadership hopes to work at full speed next week to make up for the six weeks missed during the shutdown. He said, "I want to rearrange the schedule and create more time to make up for what happened during the shutdown. In fact, there are many bills piled up that we originally planned to submit to Congress in October but couldn't."

Priorities for next week include legislation to reduce federal restrictions on liquefied natural gas and bills aimed at expanding refinery capacity to lower soaring energy costs. Multiple measures targeting Washington, D.C. are also expected to be voted on. A symbolic resolution condemning socialism in America is also on the agenda for next week.

Scalise noted that the House will have a five-day legislative week from Monday to Friday, rather than the usual four-day workweek. Lawmakers will need to work late into the night, and votes will be scheduled for evenings. "We will do this for the next few weeks until we catch up on the time missed when people returned to their districts," he said.

This adjustment is crucial as Congress will tackle several key priorities in the coming months. The shutdown-ending bill expected to pass Wednesday in the House will delay most federal spending for fiscal year 2026 until the January 30 deadline, while authorizing three of 12 annual funding bills for fiscal year 2026. The remaining nine bills need to be completed in the coming weeks. Congress also needs to find bipartisan compromises on the annual defense policy bill, a new farm bill, and a highway bill.

White House and Trump Statements

The White House Office of Management and Budget expressed support for the Senate-passed funding bill in an administrative policy statement. The statement said, "This bill finally ends the meaningless government shutdown—the longest in history—imposed on the American people by Congressional Democrats." The White House urged lawmakers to "support this responsible and good-faith result to finally end the longest shutdown in history" and promised the President will sign the bill once it reaches his desk.

White House Press Secretary Leavitt said at Wednesday's news conference, "Tonight, thanks to Republicans, the White House is very hopeful this shutdown will end. Our economy lost billions of dollars in activity during the shutdown, hurt consumer confidence, and dealt a heavy blow to the tourism and hospitality industries."

She cited estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, claiming, "The shutdown caused by Democrats may reduce fourth-quarter economic growth by a full two percentage points."

Leavitt said the government reopening measure to be voted on Wednesday night "is precisely what President Trump and Republicans have supported since day one." She said the President may allow cameras in the room to film him signing the government reopening bill.

Leavitt also said October's Consumer Price Index (CPI) data and employment reports "may never be released," which would affect the Federal Reserve's judgment on rate cuts and other monetary policy. The Department of Labor said during the shutdown that staffing shortages affected their ability to conduct surveys, which are the basis for these reports.

Trump posted Wednesday on his social media platform: "Democrats are trying to bring back the Jeffrey Epstein hoax because they'll do anything to distract from their poor performance on the shutdown and many other issues. Only very bad or stupid Republicans would fall into this trap."

Democratic Counterattack and Healthcare Issue

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries submitted a discharge petition to force a vote to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits for three years. The petition requires at least 218 House members' signatures to compel a floor vote. If all Democrats sign, at least four Republicans must cross party lines to support it.

At a news conference on Capitol Hill, Jeffries urged House Republicans to join Democrats in extending the healthcare tax credits. "We are calling on our Republican colleagues to join us to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits," he said. "We will work today, tomorrow, and for the rest of the year to ensure these tax credits are extended."

Jeffries said House Democrats would introduce legislation extending Affordable Care Act tax credits for three years "to ensure tens of millions of Americans don't face sharp increases in premiums, out-of-pocket costs, and deductibles." These tax credits were first introduced during the pandemic in 2021 and extended for three years in 2022.

Jeffries told the media that Senate Democrats made a "very reasonable" proposal to Senate Republicans to extend the tax credits for one year, but it was rejected "because Republicans have no interest in resolving the health crisis they created." When asked whether he was still willing to negotiate on the issue, Jeffries said Democrats have "always been willing to negotiate in a bipartisan fashion, but Republicans have never been willing to sit down and discuss with Democrats."

Risk Warning and DisclaimerThe market has risks; investment should be cautious. This article does not constitute personal investment advice and does not consider the individual user's specific investment goals, financial situation, or needs. Users should consider whether any opinions, viewpoints, or conclusions in this article fit their specific circumstances. Investments made based on this article are at your own risk.