The U.S. government may soon reopen as the House of Representatives is likely to vote Wednesday night on the final step to end the longest U.S. government shutdown in American history.
The bill, meant to resolve the six-week impasse, would be put to a vote to approve a government funding bill by January.
The government shutdown left thousands of federal workers without pay for the second month in a row. While millions of Americans cannot get SNAP benefits. Airmen across the United States were also affected as the FAA ordered airlines to cancel several flights due to the absence of air traffic controllers.
The development comes a day after eight Democrats broke ranks in the Senate on Monday and sided with Trump’s Republicans to end the gridlock.
The powerful House Rules Committee, which reviews bills before they are brought before the full chamber, announced on its website early Wednesday that it also approved the bill by an eight-to-four vote.
That set the stage for the Republican-controlled House to debate and vote on the proposed spending package when it meets on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Trump paused to praise Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune.
“Congratulations to you, John and everyone on a very big victory. We are opening up our country – it should never have been closed,” Trump added.
“Only people who hate our country want it not to be open,” Trump later told ESPN.
The Senate-passed legislation includes a reversal of the Trump administration’s mass layoffs of federal workers that began with a shutdown.
It also protects federal workers from further layoffs until January and guarantees they will be paid after the shutdown ends.
The deal would extend funding through Jan. 30 and, for now, would keep the federal government on track to continue adding about $1.8 trillion a year to its $38 trillion debt.
The deal also includes provisions for a bipartisan budget process and prevents the White House from using continuing resolutions to fund the government, CNBC reported.
