Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson said on Sunday that it will be a few days before a government funding package comes up for a vote, all but confirming the partial shutdown of the federal government will drag into the week.
The partial shutdown began on Saturday as Democrats and Republicans debate reigning in the Trump administration’s sweeping immigration enforcement operations.
This shutdown however is vastly different from the last one – beginning October last year – which set a record of 43 days of closure of all federal agencies, making it the longest in US history, as it does not include the whole of government and is not expected to last long.
Johnson signalled he is relying on help from US President Donald Trump to ensure passage of the package. Trump struck a deal with senators to separate funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from a broader package after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was involved in two fatal shootings in Minnesota, sparking outrage.
The measure, approved on Friday by the Senate, would continue to defund DHS temporarily for two weeks, setting up a deadline for Congress to debate and vote on new restrictions on immigration operations.
“The president is leading this,” said Johnson. “It’s his play call to do it this way," the speaker said, adding that Trump has “already conceded that he wants to turn down the volume” on ICE operations.
Johnson faces a daunting challenge ahead, trying to drag the funding legislation through the House while Democrats are refusing to provide the votes for speedy passage.
He said Democrats are demanding restraints on ICE that go beyond $20 million (€16.85 million) for body cameras, already in the bill, and want to require immigration agents to unmask and identify themselves and are pressing for an end to roving patrols.
“What is clear is that the Department of Homeland Security needs to be dramatically reformed,” said House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York. He also urged the administration to begin negotiations on changes to ICE now, not over the next two weeks.
“Masks should come off," he said. “Judicial warrants should absolutely be required consistent with the Constitution, in our view, before DHS agents or ICE agents are breaking into the homes of the American people or ripping people out of their cars.”
It's all forcing Johnson to rely on his slim Republican house majority in a series of procedural votes, starting in committee on Monday and pushing a potential House floor vote on the package until at least Tuesday, he said.
Meanwhile, a number of other federal agencies are also entangled in the funding standoff. Defence, Health, Transportation and Housing are among those given shutdown guidance by the administration.
And though many of their operations are deemed essential and services are not necessarily interrupted, workers could go without pay and some could be furloughed if the impasse drags on.
This is the second time in months that federal operations have been disrupted as Congress digs in, using the annual funding process as leverage to extract policy changes. It’s also the third time Trump has faced federal shutdown across both terms in office.
This time, the Trump administration has signalled its interest in more quickly resolving the shutdown. Johnson said he was in the Oval Office with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and border czar Tom Homan to work out the deal.
“I think we’re on the path to get agreement,” said the Republican Speaker of the House.
