After a 53-day recess, members of the U.S. House of Representatives returned to Washington on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, navigating congested airports and canceled flights to cast a crucial vote that could end the longest government shutdown in the nation’s history.
Nearly 1,200 flights were canceled across the United States as the shutdown continued to disrupt air travel. Some lawmakers found creative ways to make the trip back to the Capitol. Republican Representatives Rick Crawford of Arkansas and Trent Kelly of Mississippi said they were carpooling, while Representative Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin opted for a long and rugged journey.
“It’s going to be a little chilly, but I will do my duty,”
the Republican lawmaker said in a video posted to social media, referring to his 16-hour motorcycle ride to Washington.
The Republican-controlled House is scheduled to vote Wednesday afternoon on a bipartisan compromise to restore government funding and end the shutdown, which began on October 1 and has now stretched into its 42nd day.
The Senate, also under Republican control, approved the measure on Monday night. House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed confidence that the bill will pass his chamber as well.
President Donald Trump is expected to sign the legislation once it reaches his desk.
“We’re opening up our country. Should have never been closed,”
Trump said during a Veterans Day event in Arlington, Virginia.
If enacted, the agreement would extend federal funding through January 30, temporarily reopening agencies but leaving room for another possible budget standoff early next year. The deal would also allow the federal government to continue adding to its $38 trillion national debt.
The end of the shutdown would come as welcome relief to federal workers who have missed paychecks and low-income families who rely on food assistance programs. However, aviation experts warn that it may take several days before the nation’s air travel system fully recovers from the disruption.
Political Division Over the Deal
The deal has split Democrats, many of whom pushed for a longer-term extension of healthcare subsidies benefiting 24 million Americans set to expire at the end of the year.
While Senate Republicans have agreed to hold a separate vote on the subsidies in December, there is no guarantee of passage, and Speaker Johnson has not confirmed whether the House will take it up.
Since passing a temporary funding bill on September 19, Johnson has kept the House out of session, using the shutdown as leverage to pressure Senate Democrats. Meanwhile, Trump has withheld billions of dollars from Democratic-led states and threatened mass layoffs of federal employees in what he described as “Democrat agencies.”
The Democratic Party’s liberal base has expressed outrage over the compromise, accusing Senate Democrats of surrendering political ground despite public opinion being in their favor.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in late October found that 50% of Americans blamed Republicans for the shutdown, compared with 43% who blamed Democrats.
Impact of the Agreement
Although the deal restores funding, it lacks concrete safeguards to limit Trump’s unilateral control over spending. The president has previously canceled billions in federal programs and reduced government payrolls by hundreds of thousands, sparking concerns about executive overreach.
The new measure, however, temporarily halts his campaign to downsize the civil service, barring him from firing federal employees until January 30.
It also ensures the continuation of the SNAP food aid program for low-income families, which had been affected by the shutdown, extending funding until September 30, 2026 the end of the next fiscal year.
