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House to resume legislative business for first time since September amid shutdown

The House returns to session for the first time in nearly two months to vote on a resolution that could end the prolonged government shutdown.

The House reconvenes for the first time in nearly two months after the Senate passed a resolution to fund the government through January. Lawmakers will vote Wednesday on ending the shutdown, with first votes possible at 4 p.m. Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva will be sworn in, while Democrats voice frustration over Senate members backing the deal without securing health care subsidy protections.

House to return for first time since September to vote on ending shutdown

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., talks about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and defended employers who take action against their workers whose comments go too far, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025.

By: Justin Boggs , Joe St. George

Posted

After the U.S. Senate voted Monday to fund the government through the end of January, the House is set to return for the first time in more than seven weeks.

House Republicans say they are expected to consider a resolution to reopen the government Wednesday. The first votes could occur as early as 4 p.m. that day.

The last time the House was fully in session was Sept. 19. Since then, the chamber has only been open for so-called pro forma sessions, when no roll call votes are taken.

With the House resuming legislative business, Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., will be sworn in. Grijalva won a special election in Arizona’s 7th Congressional District in late September, but House Speaker Mike Johnson refused to swear her in, saying it was because the House was not in session — a situation prolonged by the shutdown.

Grijalva had pushed to be sworn in sooner, as she was left without a formal congressional office during the shutdown.

House Democrats upset with deal

While it appears there will be enough Republican votes to pass the resolution, House Democrats expressed frustration with eight Senate Democrats who joined Republicans in supporting it. Democrats had said they would not approve a resolution without a deal to keep health care tax subsidies.

But as the shutdown lingered, and its effects began to hit the nation’s airports and food banks, eight Democrats joined 52 Republicans in voting for a continuing resolution to fund the government.

Democrats secured several concessions, including a promise to consider health care legislation and assurances that there would be no mass layoffs in the federal government.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., the ranking member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, criticized the eight Senate Democrats for approving the bill.

“It is outrageous that a few Senate Democrats have joined Republicans in undermining our fight to prevent health care costs from skyrocketing,” she said. “I will fight against this bill here in the House.”Once the resolution passes the House, it will go to President Donald Trump for his signature. Once signed, the government shutdown would officially end.