The House’s absence was a further example of the legislative branch’s voluntary ceding of its powers to the executive during Trump’s presidency, even if the pliant GOP majority has hardly shown much zeal for conducting oversight of the administration.

After 41 days of a government shutdown, the U.S. Senate passed a set of bills to reopen the government. The House comes back to vote as early as Wednesday afternoon.

The Senate on Monday passed a bill that will fund the government through Jan. 30. It now goes to the House where a vote could come as early as Wednesday.

The House of Representatives will return to Washington and try to help end the longest federal government shutdown in American history.

The Senate-passed bill to end the record-long government shutdown moved to the full House for a final vote after a key House panel advanced it early Wednesday morning.

With House members returning to D.C. to vote on a funding bill, U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz reflected on a shutdown he said should be blamed "squarely on the Democrats."

The White House fired all six members of the commission expected to review some of Trump's construction projects and plans to appoint its own members.