Democrats are expected to broadly oppose the measure, meaning its success will largely come down to the cohesion of the Republican conference.
The House of Representatives on Nov. 12 is expected to take a vote on a legislative package to fund the government as Washington stands on the precipice of ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
During a House Rules Committee hearing that went into the early hours of Wednesday morning after being gavelled in at about 6:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday, the panel voted 8–4 to advance the legislation.
Democrats are expected to broadly oppose the measure, meaning its success will largely come down to the cohesion of the Republican conference, which is expected to pass the bill.
Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.)—who, along with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), opposed an earlier version of the spending bill in September—will back the bill, her spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email.
“We need to open the government, pay our military, and provide essential services. This [continuing resolution] doesn’t increase spending or set us up for a Christmas omnibus, so the congresswoman supports it,” the spokesperson said.
The Rules Committee hearing marked the House lawmakers’ first time back on Capitol Hill for official business in eight weeks.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) had adjourned the session following the House’s passage of a stopgap funding bill, though some House lawmakers stuck around Washington throughout the shutdown.
That extended adjournment was criticized as a “paid eight-week vacation” by Democrats at the Rules Committee hearing, who said that Republicans should have followed the Senate in staying in Washington during the shutdown.
A key issue throughout the shutdown centered on health care, the driving issue behind the shutdown.
Democrats have been calling for a one-year extension of tax subsidies for Affordable Care Act (ACA) policies, which are due to expire at the end of this year.
Some experts have warned that the lapsing of these subsidies could cause drastic increases in the premiums for ACA policies. Several Democrats on the panel reported personally hearing from their constituents who are facing premium increases of several thousand dollars next year.
By Joseph Lord
