House votes today to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history

The House of Representatives votes this Wednesday afternoon on the deal that would end the federal government shutdown, the longest in United States history, after the Senate approved it Monday night by 60 votes to 40.

The measure cleared the House Rules Committee overnight, and the final floor vote is expected in the afternoon, in the House's first session in 54 days, since it had not been in session since September 19. President Donald Trump has already said he will sign the bill tonight.

The package funds most federal agencies through January 30 and gives full-year funding to three areas: the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Veterans Affairs and military construction, and the legislative branch. It also reverses layoffs of federal workers made during the shutdown and guarantees retroactive pay for furloughed workers.

The deal does not resolve the issue at the heart of the dispute: it does not extend Affordable Care Act health subsidies, which expire at the end of the year. Senate Majority Leader John Thune promised a vote on those subsidies no later than the second week of December. The shutdown, which began October 1, left hundreds of thousands of federal workers without pay, delayed food assistance for millions of families, and disrupted flights across the country.

Photo: News One USA

Source: News One USA