Speaker Mike Johnson says shutdown fight could end by Tuesday
The partial shutdown of the United States government is likely to stretch into early next week, with federal offices not expected to fully reopen before Tuesday as lawmakers remain stuck in a dispute over homeland security funding.
House Democrats have so far declined to promise the votes needed to quickly pass a temporary spending bill that would restart government operations.
Still, Republican House speaker Mike Johnson said he believes a deal is close. Speaking on Fox News Sunday, Johnson said: “We’ll get this done by Tuesday, I’m convinced.”
The legislative process begins Monday afternoon when the House Rules Committee reviews the funding bill. Procedural votes are expected first, with a final vote unlikely before Tuesday.
The latest version of the bill removes funding for the Department of Homeland Security and replaces it with a short two-week stopgap measure, forcing lawmakers to vote again. Senate Democrats had pushed for changes after two fatal shootings involving federal immigration agents.
Johnson said Republicans plan to move the bill forward without Democratic support, using a standard majority vote rather than a fast-track process that would require bipartisan backing. He argued his party has enough votes to reopen the government on its own, though travel problems caused by a winter storm could slow members’ return to Washington.
Democrats have criticized the approach. House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries said lawmakers deserve a full debate and accused Republicans of trying to push the bill through without cooperation.
Some Democrats have vowed to oppose the measure entirely. Representative Ro Khanna said he would not support restoring immigration enforcement funding under the current terms, while Representative Jamie Raskin said he could consider a short-term bill but wants to review the details first.
With Republicans holding only a slim majority in the House, any defections could delay the vote and extend the shutdown further.
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