A majority of the House of Representatives on Wednesday moved toward advancing legislation to end the record-long, 43-day shutdown of the federal government, according to wire reports. The vote was steadily gaining support through early evening as leaders urged members back to the chamber.
House officials said debate on the funding bill would begin immediately after the procedural tally closes. A final vote is projected between 9 and 10 p.m., depending on the number of lawmakers seeking time to speak.
Wire reports said the legislation would reopen shuttered agencies at once upon enactment and authorize retroactive pay for furloughed federal workers. The back-pay provision has been one of the few points of bipartisan agreement during the standoff.
The shutdown began 43 days ago after President Donald Trump and congressional leaders failed to agree on a year-end funding package. Federal officials have warned repeatedly that prolonged closures have slowed safety inspections, clogged benefits processing, and hindered law-enforcement operations.
Officials have also reported disruptions to air travel and strain on the delivery of SNAP food benefits as the shutdown dragged on.
Earlier this week, eight Democrats crossed the aisle in the Senate to back a bipartisan deal even though it did not include an extension of Obamacare subsidies that many in the caucus had sought. They argued that without the subsidies many constituents’ healthcare premiums would skyrocket.
Wire reports said Democrat senators have been pushing to obtain the subsidy extension by alternate means, including through separate legislative channels and upcoming health-policy vehicles.
Several Democrat lawmakers said they were determined to keep pressure on leadership for a healthcare fix that could move once the government is reopened. Some expressed frustration that the shutdown fight overshadowed internal negotiations over the subsidies and other insurance-market provisions they view as essential heading into the next cycle.
In the House, Democrats also revived a long-shot procedural effort on Wednesday by continuing to gather support for a discharge petition aimed at forcing consideration of a clean funding bill. The petition, which requires 218 signatures to bypass leadership and bring legislation straight to the floor, had been steadily accumulating Democrat backers and a small number of Republicans.
Wire reports said Democrat leaders viewed the petition both as a pressure tactic and as a contingency plan in case bipartisan talks collapsed again.
With the House now advancing the leadership-backed funding measure instead, the discharg1e petition remained active but unlikely to be the vehicle that ends the shutdown. Several Democrat aides said they’d keep the petition open through the evening in case negotiations faltered or last-minute defections emerged.
As attention shifted to the Senate, staff for several senators said the chamber could take up the House-passed bill later tonight if no procedural objections are raised. Some senators were still weighing whether to permit expedited consideration, but multiple aides described the overall mood as leaning toward quick action.
Inside the House chamber, optimism grew as uncommitted lawmakers signaled they would support the measure after a series of closed-door meetings throughout the afternoon. Several members said the growing chorus of complaints from federal workers, contractors, and constituents pushed them past the point of holding out for additional concessions.
The floor remained busy as members continued arriving to cast their votes. Clerks prepared for an extended reading period in case lawmakers straggled in ahead of the final count. House officials said the schedule for the night remains unchanged, with debate to begin as soon as the procedural vote concludes and a final vote to follow once all speakers are finished.
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