The US House of Representatives has approved a spending bill to end the government shutdown, with 222 votes in favor and 209 against. Six Democrats supported the Republican-led bill. It will now be sent to President Donald Trump, who has said he will sign it tonight. Once he does, the longest government shutdown in US history will officially end.
When will Trump sign the bill?
The White House announced on Wednesday night that Trump will sign the government funding bill on camera from the Oval Office at 9:45 pm ET (8:15 am Thursday in India) to officially reopen the federal government. The signing has been added to the President’s official schedule.
Earlier, Trump was scheduled to have a private dinner at 7:30 pm ET with limited media coverage, but that event was later closed to the press.
The White House said that instead of covering the dinner, cameras will be allowed inside the Oval Office to record the bill signing.
The schedule change came after a White House press briefing earlier in the day, where press secretary Karoline Leavitt suggested that reporters might see the President later in the evening during the signing.
The event will officially mark the end of the longest government shutdown in US history.
What does the bill include and what it leaves out?
As voting on the bill concludes, here’s a look at what the deal covers and what it leaves out.
What’s included: The deal cancels all layoffs of government employees that happened during the shutdown. It also ensures that all federal workers will get full back pay for the time they couldn’t work. In addition, it extends the temporary funding plan that keeps the government running until January.
What’s not included: However, the deal leaves out one of the main demands from Democrats, a guaranteed extension of health insurance subsidies. Instead of adding this extension directly to the funding bill, lawmakers have agreed to hold a separate vote on these tax credits later, at the end of the second week in December.
End of longest US government shutdown
After weeks without pay, hundreds of thousands of government employees will soon return to work. The new funding plan ensures they will receive back pay for the time they were off duty.
Preschools and food assistance programs that were closed will reopen, along with federal offices and national landmarks. Important government reports about the US economy will also start coming out again, though with some delays.