Another benefit of the shutdown for House Democrats is that it helps them fill the floor schedule in what would otherwise be a slow legislative period.

Before Democratic leaders on Saturday announced their plan to advance individual appropriations bills, the House floor schedule for this week consisted of primarily suspension measures — generally noncontroversial bills that are brought to the floor under an expedited process requiring two-thirds support for passage.

The only other item on the agenda was completing consideration of the House rules package with a vote on Title III. That final piece of the package would authorize the general counsel on behalf of the speaker to intervene in the Texas v. United States lawsuit to defend the constitutionality of the 2010 health care law and ensure that protections for pre-existing conditions continue.

Without the votes Democrats have taken and will be taking to reopen government, the first few weeks of the 116th Congress would have provided for a sleepy House floor schedule.