After an extended 50-day recess, the House of Representatives is bustling back into session to confront a government shutdown that has stretched on for far too long. With less than two days on the clock, the urgency is palpable among the returning lawmakers.

Chiefs of staff have been scrambling to coordinate the return of their representatives to Washington, D.C., following a whip notice issued late Monday. Despite today being Veterans Day, a federal holiday, the House GOP leadership has scheduled a crucial Rules meeting this afternoon. The agenda is clear: to set the stage for a Wednesday vote on a Senate-approved funding bill aimed at reopening the federal doors.

The proposed bill, already greenlit by the Senate, aims to fund several agencies fully for the fiscal year while keeping the rest of the government operational through January. House Speaker Mike Johnson is optimistic about securing enough Republican votes, bolstered by President Donald Trump's endorsement of the bill as a "very good" deal. This encouragement is expected to sway some fiscal conservatives who were initially hesitant.

However, Johnson's current challenge extends beyond legislative votes to logistical hurdles. Many representatives are facing travel disruptions, including canceled and delayed flights, due to the ongoing shutdown. Johnson has urged his colleagues to hasten their return to ensure a timely vote.

On the Democratic front, resistance is mounting. The bipartisan nature of the Senate's proposal has not eased the discontent among House Democrats, particularly because the deal omits an extension of the expiring Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies—a critical point of contention. The House Democratic leadership, along with the New Democrat Coalition, has expressed strong opposition, citing a refusal to compromise on constituents' wellbeing.

Despite the Democratic leadership's stance, there may be outliers. Representative Jared Golden of Maine, who previously broke ranks to support a GOP-led resolution, and other centrist Democrats like Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington and Henry Cuellar of Texas, are ones to watch as potential swing votes.

Additional Developments to Watch:

— GOP ACA Negotiation Team: As discussions intensify to address the expiring ACA subsidies, a select group of Republican senators, including Mike Crapo and Bill Cassidy, have been appointed to represent their party in bipartisan health care negotiations.

— Thune’s Legislative Branch Provision: An intriguing element of the government funding package, introduced by Senator John Thune, includes compensation for senators whose phone records were collected unknowingly during a Biden-era investigation. This provision underscores the complex layers of negotiation and the stakes involved as the deadline for government funding looms.

As the clock ticks down, all eyes are on the Capitol, where the next 36 hours could dictate the immediate future of U.S. government operations and the lives of millions of Americans dependent on its uninterrupted functioning.