House Reconvenes on Day 43 — Vote Tonight Could End the Longest U.S. Government Shutdown

House reconvenes to vote on bill to end the shutdown

After the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, the House returned to Washington on Day 43 after Speaker Mike Johnson called members back following nearly eight weeks away. Lawmakers are set to consider a measure the Senate approved late Monday to reopen the government.

President Donald Trump praised the Senate-passed measure as a “very big victory,” and the bill is expected to pass the Republican-led House. Travel disruptions tied to the shutdown, however, could complicate the outcome: Johnson likely needs near-perfect attendance from Republican members to secure passage.

Few will be entirely satisfied

Many Democrats are expected to oppose the package because it does not include the health-insurance provisions and tax-credit extensions they sought. Public opinion and recent election results suggest Republicans — who control Congress and the White House — have absorbed much of the public’s blame for the impasse.

Supreme Court order and SNAP payments

The Supreme Court has extended a temporary order that blocks full monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments, offering no public explanation for the move. The order is scheduled to expire just before midnight Thursday. The result has been uneven distributions: some families in certain states have received full monthly allocations while others have received no payments.

New member sworn in; Epstein files vote cleared

Democrat Adelita Grijalva will be sworn in after winning a special election in Arizona nearly seven weeks ago. Speaker Johnson had declined to seat her until the chamber returned; Democrats said the delay was intended to prevent her from signing a petition that could trigger a future vote to release files related to Jeffrey Epstein.

Local grocers and communities feel the strain

Small grocery and convenience stores are reporting lost sales and added hardship for customers as SNAP payments were interrupted. Ryan Sprankle, whose family owns three grocery stores near Pittsburgh, said delayed benefits have hurt both his customers and his business. “You can’t take away from the most needy people in the country. It’s inhumane,” Sprankle said, describing the interruption of food aid as a blow to local economies.

Timing and expectations for the vote

The House gavelled into session at noon, with a final vote on the funding bill expected in the evening — roughly around 7 p.m., though schedules frequently slip. If approved, the bill would be sent to the president for signature. Democrats are expected to largely oppose the measure because it does not extend tax credits tied to health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

Treasury remarks on food prices

Treasury official Scott Bessent told Fox & Friends the administration will soon announce “substantial” steps intended to lower prices for food items not grown in the United States, specifically naming coffee and bananas among imports the administration aims to affect. His comments came as the president continued to assert that consumer costs have fallen since he took office, despite broader economic indicators that suggest otherwise.

The penny’s final run at the Philadelphia Mint

The U.S. Mint in Philadelphia — striking pennies since 1793 — is scheduled to produce its last circulating penny this week after the administration moved to eliminate the one-cent coin. Rising production costs, roughly four cents per penny struck, have driven the decision. Although billions of pennies remain in circulation, the coin is increasingly viewed as obsolete in the modern economy.

Public opinion, political fallout and economic effects

An AP-NORC poll found roughly six in 10 Americans say President Trump and congressional Republicans bear “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of responsibility for the shutdown; 54% say the same of congressional Democrats. At least three-quarters of respondents said each party deserved at least a “moderate” share of blame, reflecting broad public dissatisfaction.

The shutdown has disrupted an already strained economy: more than a million federal employees went without pay since Oct. 1, thousands of flights were canceled, and many food-aid recipients saw benefits interrupted. The Congressional Budget Office estimated the shutdown could reduce fourth-quarter growth by about 1.5 percentage points. The interruption of routine economic reporting — on unemployment, inflation and retail sales — has also complicated the Federal Reserve’s ability to assess conditions and could affect expectations for a December interest-rate decision.

Markets

With a potential end to the shutdown in sight, Wall Street was poised to open higher Wednesday as investors reacted to the prospect of resumed government operations and reduced uncertainty.