The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday approved an end to the longest government shutdown in the country’s history, but few people were satisfied with the outcome after 43 days. The document has now been sent to President Donald Trump for sanctions, which are expected to be imposed within hours.
By a vote of 222 in favor and 209 against, lawmakers agreed to temporary funding from part of the federal government, including payments to veterans and food assistance. All remaining budgets have been extended through the end of January, giving Congress two more months to finalize the budget for the current fiscal year.
However, this agreement caused dissatisfaction on both sides. Democrats were unable to include the health insurance provision they had requested. And the Republican Party that controls Washington was not unscathed, either, according to polls and negative results for candidates in recent elections.
The effects of the government shutdown, or “shutdown,” fell on millions of people, including federal employees left without pay and airline passengers whose flights were delayed or canceled. Suspension of food assistance programs has led to long lines at food banks and increased emotional stress in the run-up to Thanksgiving.
Without an extension of the tax credits that lower the cost of health insurance purchased through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Obamacare, a key Democratic demand, prices are expected to more than double for millions of Americans. An additional 2 million people are expected to lose their insurance plans completely next year, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune, in an effort to break the deadlock, promised to hold a vote on the issue in December and ultimately succeeded in persuading eight Democratic senators to approve the bill. This support divided the party, with the more progressive wing accusing his colleagues of “treason”.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said his party will fight to extend health care subsidies. “Either the Republican Party ultimately decides to extend the ACA, or the American people resign from the Republican Party next year,” he said in reference to the 2016 midterm elections.
The impact of the “shutdown” has been immeasurable, which is why party leaders have held press conferences almost every day in an effort to shape public opinion. But according to a poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, about 60% of Americans say President Trump and Republicans in Congress bear “significant” or “substantial” responsibility for the government shutdown, while 54% of Democrats say the same.
Political parties used elections in Virginia, New Jersey and New York City to look for signs of how the government shutdown is affecting public opinion. Democrats were encouraged by the impressive results. Meanwhile, President Trump classified the event as a “huge negative for the Republican Party.”
However, the possibility that Americans would not be able to travel on Thanksgiving Day and the lack of food aid payments hampered negotiations.
CBO says the economic impact will mostly recover once the shutdown ends, but it will not fully recover. Permanent economic losses from the six-week closure are estimated at approximately $11 billion.
“This dysfunction is damaging enough to our constituents and our economy, and it also sends a message that we cannot work together to fulfill Congress’ most basic responsibilities,” said Republican Sen. Jerry Moran.
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