House Republicans Advance Bill to End Record Shutdown, Blast Democrats for “Political Temper Tantrum”
Key Facts
- House Rules Committee advances GOP-led bill to reopen government after 42-day shutdown
- Republicans blame Democrats for “political temper tantrum” causing record closure
- Democrats’ push for Obamacare subsidy extensions fails in party-line vote
- Speaker Mike Johnson calls deal a “total victory” that restores fiscal discipline
by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Washington D.C. Bureau Staff
WASHINGTON D.C. (Worthy News) – After a grueling overnight session stretching into the early hours of Tuesday morning, the House Rules Committee voted 8–4 along party lines to advance a bill aimed at ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history — now entering its 42nd day. The measure, supported by all Republicans on the panel, moves next to the full House for a vote Wednesday, where GOP leaders are confident it will pass.
House Rules Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) opened the hearing with sharp criticism of Democrats, blaming them squarely for the gridlock. “Democrats should take ownership of the chaos they’ve unleashed across the nation,” Foxx said, calling the 42-day standoff a self-inflicted crisis born of partisanship rather than policy.
The legislation, which mirrors a bipartisan Senate package passed Monday, would fund the government through January 30, 2026, and fully fund three key departments — Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, and the Food and Drug Administration — through September 2026. Importantly for conservatives, the bill includes no new spending increases and no extensions of the Affordable Care Act’s pandemic-era subsidies, a major sticking point for Democrats.
House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) reminded the committee that House Republicans had already acted weeks earlier to prevent a shutdown. “Nearly two months ago, the House passed a continuing resolution that would have kept the government open and operating,” he said. “But instead, Senate Democrats blocked its passage. The result of this political temper tantrum has been the longest government shutdown in the nation’s history.”
The exchange grew heated when Cole confronted Ranking Member Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), highlighting Democrats’ hypocrisy. “This is the stuff you said you would never do. ‘We would never shut down the government.’ That’s exactly what you’ve done,” Cole charged. “You’re putting thousands of people out of work.”
Democrats, in turn, accused Republicans of taking a “paid eight-week vacation” while Americans suffered under the shutdown. Foxx shot back, visibly frustrated: “I worked every day. I don’t know about you. I don’t want to hear another soul say that.”
A Fight Over Obamacare Subsidies
At the center of Democrats’ opposition is their demand for a one-year extension of tax subsidies for Affordable Care Act policies, which are set to expire at year’s end. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) made a rare appearance before the committee, calling for a three-year extension, accusing Republicans of “creating a healthcare crisis all across America.”
Jeffries’ amendment failed on a party-line vote, underscoring the GOP’s unified stance against expanding government healthcare spending. “The attempted ‘shakedown’ by the Democratic Party failed and was seen by every American,” said Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.
Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.), who had opposed an earlier version of the spending bill, said she would now support the measure. “We need to open the government, pay our military, and provide essential services. This CR doesn’t increase spending or set us up for a Christmas omnibus, so the Congresswoman supports it,” her office said.
Senate Deal Seen as “Total Win” for Conservatives
The Senate had already passed the legislation Monday night with a 60–40 vote, as seven Democrats and one Independent joined nearly all Republicans. The only GOP senator to vote “no” was Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who objected to what he called “Washington’s addiction to continuing resolutions.”
The House Freedom Caucus praised the agreement as “a complete and total win,” citing its fiscal restraint and the absence of any Obamacare extensions. The measure also keeps intact the power of the White House budget office to limit discretionary spending through impoundments and rescissions, tools that former OMB Director Russ Vought used effectively during President Trump’s first term.
Rep. Norman summed up the sentiment: “If the levels are consistent with what we previously passed, I will support the legislation to end the shutdown. There is no Christmas omnibus and no subsidy extension for Obamacare. That’s a win.”
Johnson Declares Victory
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) heralded the advancement of the bill as “the beginning of the end” of what he called a “shutdown about nothing.”
“The irony is, what we’re voting on is effectively exactly what we offered them several weeks back,” Johnson told reporters. “We’ve added some appropriations bills now, which we’re in favor of because it’s getting us back to regular order.”
President Donald Trump also signaled support, telling reporters Monday, “We’ll be opening up our country very quickly.”
If the measure clears the House, Trump is expected to sign it immediately, restoring pay to furloughed federal workers and reactivating key agencies that have been dormant for over a month.
A Political Reckoning Ahead
As Americans endure travel chaos, delayed benefits, and economic uncertainty, the blame game continues. Republicans insist the record-breaking shutdown was driven by Democrats’ refusal to compromise on healthcare subsidies — an issue they framed as an “election-year giveaway.” Democrats, meanwhile, continue to warn of rising healthcare costs, though GOP leaders note the ACA subsidies were always meant to be temporary pandemic measures.
Either way, with the House preparing for a final vote Wednesday, lawmakers appear ready to close this chapter — one that has exposed deep partisan divisions, but also demonstrated Republican unity around fiscal restraint and constitutional governance.
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