Six Democrats Join Republicans To Finally End Schumer Shutdown After 43 Days

The House of Representatives passed a spending package Wednesday evening to end the longest government shutdown in history over the objections of Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and a majority of his caucus.

Lawmakers voted 222 to 209 with six Democrats crossing party lines to reopen the government. The White House said Wednesday that President Donald Trump will promptly sign the measure into law.

The Democrats who defected from the party line include Reps. Jared Golden of Maine, Adam Gray of California, Henry Cuellar of Texas, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, Don Davis of North Carolina and Tom Suozzi of New York.

Republican Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, a fiscal hawk, opposed the government funding package. His Republican colleague, Florida Rep. Greg Steube also voted “no,” citing his opposition to a provision that allows senators to sue the federal government if their phone records are seized without prior notice.

“I’m not gonna send Lindsey Graham half a million dollars,” Steube told reporters prior to the vote.

The 43-day shutdown forced hundreds of thousands of federal employees to pay their bills while forgoing paychecks, jeopardized low-income Americans’ access to federal food assistance and disrupted