The end to the shutdown drama is in sight. The end to House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) political headaches is not. Why it matters: This caps 10 excruciating days for Johnson. At each step, he's insisted the inevitable wasn't inevitable.

A group of House members from both parties succeeded Thursday in deploying a rarely executed method to bypass GOP leadership and force a vote on a bill to expand access to Social Security benefits. Why it matters: It's the second time this year that a bipartisan group of lawmakers has sidestepped House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.

The House of Representatives struck down a stopgap bill backed by Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday, with over a dozen Republicans defying the chamber's leadership and voting against the measure.