WASHINGTON — The 43-day government shutdown may come to an end on Wednesday as the House of Representatives is set to vote on the spending plan passed by the Senate earlier this week.
Speaker Mike Johnson had kept the House out of session since mid-September but called lawmakers back to Washington once the Senate passed the bill on Monday night, The Associated Press reported.
The agreement saw a handful of Democratic senators and one independent break party ranks and vote for its passage.
The bill will fund the government through Jan. 30, pass three appropriation bills, reverse more than 4,000 federal layoffs and prevent additional layoffs through January, The Washington Post reported.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, will be funded through September 2026.
Here is what happens on Wednesday:
Noon: House gaveled into session
4 p.m.: Johnson will swear in Congresswoman-elect Adelita Grijalva, seven weeks after she was elected by voters in Arizona to replace her late father, CNN reported.
7 p.m.: The AP said the vote is expected around 7 p.m., while CNN said it may start at 7:30 p.m., but both said the timing may change. The schedule released by Majority Leader Steve Scalise said the last vote is expected at 7:15 p.m.
The Republicans have a slim margin in the House and can have only two GOP members voting against the bill’s passage, CNN reported. Most Democrats are expected to oppose the bill in the House since it does not extend tax credits for the Affordable Care Act once they expire at the end of the year, the Post reported. There are some moderates who may vote for the bill’s passage despite not having the ACA credits, according to the newspaper.
Once passed, the bill will go to President Donald Trump for his signature.
During the shutdown, 650,000 federal workers were furloughed and 600,000 more have been working without pay, the Post reported.