On Wednesday night, President Donald Trump signed a government funding package, ending a record 43 day closure that left many travellers delayed at airports, created long queues at some food banks, and put financial strain on federal employees who went without salaries.
With Trump's signature, the second government shutdown he has managed in the White House comes to an end. This shutdown exacerbated partisan divisions in Washington as his administration used unprecedented unilateral actions, such as project cancellations and attempts to fire federal employees, to put pressure on Democrats to compromise on their demands.
The House passed the bill on a largely party line vote of 222-209 just hours before the signing ceremony. The bill was already approved by the Senate on Monday.
Democrats want to prolong an increased tax credit that lowers the cost of health insurance purchased through Affordable Care Act marketplaces that expires at the end of the year.
If a short term spending package did not address that priority, they would not support it. Republicans, however, claimed that was a different policy dispute that should be resolved at a later date.
The Republican chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Representative Tom Cole, stated, "We told you 43 days ago from bitter experience that government shutdowns don't work." "They never accomplish the goal you declare. And you know what? You still haven't accomplished that goal, and you won't.
When members discussed the funding proposal on the House floor, the frustration and strains brought on by the closure were evident. Republicans claimed that Democrats attempted to win a policy disagreement by exploiting the suffering caused by the closure.
House Speaker Mike Johnson stated, "They knew it would cause pain and they did it anyway." Republicans hurried to enact tax relief earlier this year, which Democrats claim will only benefit the rich.
However, Rep. Jim McGovern, a Democrat from Massachusetts, stated that the bill before the House on Wednesday "leaves families twisting in the wind with zero guarantee there will ever, ever be a vote to extend tax credits to help everyday people pay for their health care."
Even if the vote did not go their way, Democrats will not abandon the subsidy extension, according to Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Jeffries declared, "This fight is not over." "We have only just begun." After passing a temporary measure to keep the government running when the new fiscal year started in October, the House had not been in session since September 19. After that vote, Johnson said that House Republicans had fulfilled their duty and sent lawmakers home, placing the burden of action on the Senate.
What is included in the bill to lift the shutdown? After realising that Republicans would not compromise on utilising government financing to pass legislation to extend the health care tax credits, eight senators split with the Democrats to negotiate an agreement that resulted in the law.
The arrangement extends government funding through January 30 and provides funding for three annual spending measures. Republicans pledged to prolong the health care subsidies through a vote by mid December, but there is no assurance that they would be successful.
Reversing the Trump administration's termination of federal employees since the shutdown started is part of the measure. Additionally, it ensures that government employees are paid once the shutdown ends and shields them from additional layoffs through January.
People who depend on important food assistance programs will have uninterrupted funding for those benefits for the remainder of the fiscal year thanks to the Agriculture Department bill.
The plan includes $28 million for the security of Supreme Court justices and $203.5 million to increase security for legislators. Democrats also objected to the bill's provisions that would allow senators to file a lawsuit if a government employee or agency examines their electronic records without their consent, with potential fines of up to $500,000 for each infraction.
The wording appears to be intended to assist Republican senators in seeking damages if the FBI examined their phone records as part of an inquiry into Trump's attempts to reverse his 2020 election defeat. Republicans also criticized the provisions. Johnson expressed his "extreme anger about it."
Johnson promised a vote on the issue as early as next week, saying, "That was dropped in at the last minute, and I did not appreciate that, nor did most of the House members."
The fate of the expiring enhanced tax credit, which lowers the cost of health insurance through Affordable Care Act marketplaces, was the main source of disagreement.
It's a subsidy on top of a subsidy. "During COVID, our friends added it," Cole remarked. "COVID is no longer an issue. They established a deadline for when the subsidies would expire. The date was selected by them.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, stated that no Republican supported the expanded tax credit, which was intended to increase access to healthcare.
"All they have done is attempt to take away our nation's access to healthcare. "The nation is becoming aware of them," Pelosi stated.
For millions of Americans, premiums will more than quadruple in the absence of the expanded tax credit. The Congressional Budget Office predicted that over 2 million people will completely lose their health insurance coverage in the upcoming year.
The upcoming health care debate Before the Senate vote in December, it's unclear if the parties will reach a consensus on health care. Johnson has stated that he will not promise to discuss it in his chamber.
Given that millions of people's premiums may skyrocket, some Republicans have stated that they are willing to extend the COVID-19 pandemic era tax credits.
However, they also want new restrictions on who is eligible for the subsidies. Some contend that rather than going straight to insurance firms, the tax money for the plans should pass via individuals.
The Senate Appropriations Committee chair, Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, stated on Monday that she was in favor of extending the tax credits with modifications including additional income limitations. Democrats have hinted that they would be receptive to the concept. Democrats in the House had serious doubts that the Senate effort would result in a breakthrough.
Republicans have intended to repeal the health overhaul for the past 15 years, according to Connecticut Representative Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee. She stated, "That's where they're trying to go."
