On November 12, 2025, the House of Representatives made significant progress towards ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, which has lasted for 43 days. The House was in session for the first time since September 19, as they debated a Senate-approved funding bill aimed at reopening the government.
To pass, the bill required at least 217 ‘yes’ votes. In a decisive vote, it garnered 222 ‘yes’ votes against 209 ‘no’ votes. Interestingly, six Democratic representatives crossed party lines to support the bill, while two Republicans sided with Democrats to maintain the shutdown.
The Democratic representatives who voted in favor included Jared Golden (Maine), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Washington), Adam Gray (California), Don Davis (North Carolina), Henry Cuellar (Texas), and Tom Suozzi (New York). On the other side, Republicans Thomas Massie (Kentucky) and Greg Steube (Florida) opposed their party’s leadership.
The bill will now be sent to President Donald Trump for his approval. Earlier, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized the Republicans for what he described as contributing to a “healthcare crisis” by not renewing tax credits under the Affordable Care Act.
In response, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson expressed regret over the shutdown, placing responsibility on Democrats for blocking funding attempts multiple times before the bill could pass.
With the legislation set to reach the President’s desk, it’s anticipated that the government will reopen promptly, bringing an end to the prolonged uncertainty for many Americans.
