On November 11, 2025, according to Epoch Times, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, urged members of the House to return to Washington, D.C. on Monday, November 10th, in order to promptly vote on the appropriations bill expected to soon pass the Senate, thus ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
After the Senate passed a procedural motion by a vote of 60 to 40 on Sunday evening, the U.S. government is poised to emerge from the shutdown deadlock soon. It is not yet clear when the Senate will have the final vote on the appropriations bill, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune stated that he hopes it will happen “in a few hours rather than a few days.”
Johnson also stated at a press conference held on Monday, “The nightmare is finally coming to an end.”
“We must finish this as soon as possible,” Johnson said. Since mid-September when the House passed a bill to fund the government to keep it running, he has been keeping the House in recess.
To end the 41-day-long government shutdown, the appropriations bill must pass the Senate, be sent to the House for approval, and then sent to President Trump for signing into law.
Considering the government shutdown has led to flight cancellations or delays, Johnson urged House members on Monday to return to Washington, D.C. “immediately.” However, he added that once the Senate passes the legislation, he will issue a formal notice to convene the House.
Johnson told reporters that he anticipates the House will vote this week but did not specify a particular date.
In Sunday’s vote, the Senate passed a procedural measure aimed at bypassing filibuster rules to ensure that a simple majority vote will suffice for the final vote on the spending bill, rather than the 60-vote threshold usually required to pass legislation, thus paving the way to end the government shutdown.
Thune previously reached an agreement with some Senate Democrats to vote on extending subsidies for the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as “Obamacare,” in mid-December but did not guarantee its passage. This agreement led to eight Democratic senators voting with Republicans on Sunday in support of Thune’s procedural measure, making it possible for the government to restart operations promptly.
President Trump has not yet indicated whether he will sign the bill, but on Sunday evening at the White House, he told reporters, “It looks like we are getting closer to ending the government shutdown.”