With the Senate apparently achieving the 60 votes necessary to pass a Continuing Budget Reconciliation Bill the House will need to act later this week in order to get the government open again. GOP Congressman Tim Burchett says he’s been called back to Washington, D.C. to reopen the federal government. 

On Monday morning, Burchett says he was told to come back to get back to Washington by Wednesday. He said there may be a vote on Thursday. 

NBC News reports House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) urged members of the House to make their way back to D.C. for a vote. When speaking with reporters, Johnson said he would issue an official 36-hour notice before votes in the House.

The Senate took the first step to end the government shutdown on Sunday after a group of 8 Democrats agreed to proceed without a guaranteed extension of health care subsidies, angering many in their caucus who say Americans want them to continue the fight.

In a test vote that is the first in a series of required procedural maneuvers, the Senate voted 60-40 to move toward passing compromise legislation to fund the government and hold a later vote on extending Affordable Care Act tax credits that expire Jan. 1. Final passage could be several days away if Democrats delay the process with procedural games.

The agreement to reopen the government does not guarantee the health care subsidies will be extended, as Democrats have demanded for 40 days. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York voted against moving ahead with the package, along with all but eight of his Democratic colleagues. Republican Senator Rand Paul (KY) continue to vote with the bulk of the Democrat Democrats and keeping the government closed.

A group of three former governors — New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan and Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine — broke the six-week stalemate on Sunday when they agreed to vote to advance three bipartisan annual spending bills and extend the rest of government funding until late January in exchange for a mid-December vote on extending the health care tax credits.

The agreement also includes a reversal of the mass firings of federal workers by the Trump administration since the shutdown began on Oct. 1 and would ensure that federal workers receive back pay.

Three of the eight senators — King, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada — have supported a Republican-written stopgap bill to fund the government since the shutdown began. Two of the eight Democrats voting to reopen the government with their Republican colleagues are retiring at the end of the current session, Shaheen and Dick Durbin, of Illinois. There is widespread speculation that King may also choose not to run for reelection. None of the other Democrats face reelection in 2026 and therefore don’t have to experience the ire of liberal Democrats upset at any indication of cooperation with Republicans.

Many political observers believe that Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer was motivated by his fear of primary opposition for his reelection from Alexandria Ocasio Cortez if he was seen as “bending the knee to Trump.” Some Democrats are calling for him to immediately step aside as Leader in the wake of what they see as “betrayal” and failure of leadership in keeping his fellow Democrats in line.

Steve Gill is editor and publisher of TriStar Daily.