Republicans cheered as the House, with the help of six democrats, voted to end the legislative conflict. President Donald Trump signed the bill late Wednesday.
By Catholics for Catholics
It’s over.
At last, the longest government shutdown in the history of the U.S. came to an end Wednesday night, when the bill to finish the longstanding fracas between Republicans and Democrats was sent to President Donald Trump, so he could sign it and cease the standoff.
Trump did just that late night Wednesday. He blamed the whole ordeal on Democrats and suggested voters shouldn’t reward Republicans during next year’s midterm elections, according to Fox News.
“So I just want to tell the American people, you should not forget this,” Trump said. “When we come up to midterms and other things, don’t forget what they’ve done to our country.”
On Wednesday evening, after a dramatic day of waiting for the outcome, federal funding legislation directed at opening the government passed in the House, putting an end to the weeks-long fiscal deadlock that mostly petrified Congress since Oct. 1. Republicans on the House floor exploded in cheers when the bill prevailed while most Democrats silently departed the chamber.
The latest tally of the votes were six Democrats who voted with all but two Republicans to pass the bill with a 222 to 209 margin. In addition, the Democrats who voted in favor of the legislation are Reps. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, Adam Gray, D-Calif., Marie Glasnapp Perez, D-Wash, and Don Davis, D-N.C.
It was a sharp contrast with what happened on Sept. 19, when the House took its opening vote on federal funding legislation. One sole Democrat — Golden — voted with the Republicans.
Still, on Wednesday, most House Democrats opposed the bill, including their senior members.
Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., House Minority Leader, repeated to reporters hours before the vote that Democrats were frustrated the bill did not do much about COVID-19 pandemic-era healthcare subsidies under Obamacare, also known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Those enhanced tax credits expire this year.
“House Democrats are here on the Capitol steps to reiterate our strong opposition to this spending bill because it fails to address the Republican healthcare crisis, and it fails to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credit,” Jeffries said.
By contrast, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., sounded hopeful in comments to reporters Wednesday morning ahead of the vote, however.
“I wanted to come out and say that we believe the long national nightmare will be over tonight,” Johnson said. “It was completely and utterly foolish and pointless in the end.”
