The House of Representatives took the floor Wednesday night, Nov. 12, to debate whether to allow the Senate-passed government shutdown deal to move forward. Following the procedural vote, the House turned into a political blame game, the Democrats and Republicans taking turns pointing fingers at each other, faulting the other side for the government shutdown while millions of American lives hung in the balance.
On Nov. 9, the Senate passed a compromise 60-40, providing funding for “most of the federal government through Jan. 30, 2026, with a few agencies funded for the full fiscal year,” according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. No new funding will be provided for most discretionary grant programs and mandatory programs funded through the annual appropriations process. There will, however, be exceptions. This bill is an agreement on long-term spending and a promise for a future vote on extending healthcare tax credits.
After a 15-minute voting period, the House passed the resolution 222-209, with six Democrats voting in favor and two Republicans voting against. President Donald Trump is expected to sign the bill the morning of Nov. 13.
The government shutdown was the longest in history, lasting 43 days from Oct. 1, surpassing the 2018-19 shutdown that lasted 35 days during Trump’s first term. During the shutdown, hundreds of thousands of federal employees either worked without pay or were furloughed. Now that the government has reopened, under the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 (P.L. 116-1), furloughed employees are “required to receive retroactive pay once the government repopens,” according to the NCSL.
With millions of lives affected, how will the country return to normal after both sides of the aisle played the blame game for the shutdown?
At the end of October, the Trump administration announced it would not tap into the $5 billion emergency fund allocated to SNAP to cover the $9 billion it would need for the full month of November.
On Nov. 12, Rep. Mark Pocan made a post on X, writing, “Yes, the government will reopen today. But here’s what won’t happen: No protection for 22M paying more for ACA, 15M still losing healthcare due to Big Ugly Law, SNAP cuts remain, $180B slashed from the #1 anti-poverty program, [b]illionaire tax cuts untouched. I hope my Republican colleagues are tanned and rested after their 7-week paid vacation. We’re not stopping. The fight for working people is just getting started.”
On Nov. 8, Bernie Sanders took to X and wrote, “Trump gave the 1% a trillion in tax breaks. Now he’s working overtime to block SNAP benefits for 42 million Americans who rely on them. Tax breaks for billionaires. Cuts for hungry kids. We must stand up to Trumpism and build a government that works for all — not just the few.”
While millions of Americans suffered, Trump took it upon himself not only to request that SNAP benefits be blocked, but he also took a trip around the globe, flying in Air Force One to Israel, Egypt, Qatar, Malaysia, Japan and South Korea, according to the Washington Post. He is the only president to travel abroad during a government shutdown.
Many took to social media to express concern about construction crews ripping apart the East Wing of the White House. The White House wrote in a post on X Oct. 20:
“For over 100 years, presidents have enhanced the White House, preserving its legacy as a symbol of our nation. Today, President Trump proudly broke ground on the new, big White House Ballroom. Privately funded, it costs taxpayers nothing & will be cherished for generations.”
One X user wrote in response on Oct. 20, “Obama once wore a tan suit and they had pitchforks out. Today demolition crews begun tearing down parts of the East Wing of the White House to build Trump’s $250 Million ballroom after claiming it wouldn’t “interfere” with the existing White House structure.”
Just like the members of the House of Representatives on the floor on Nov. 12, blame and condemnation fueled the nation, along with justifications for each party. The fact is, however, that millions upon millions faced the ramifications of the 43-day shutdown — an egotistical political battle between parties justified by preaching their side was “right.” Right in the face of suffering, however, cannot lead to change, and the show on the House floor was a true example of just that.
