The partial federal government shutdown will continue until at least Tuesday (February 3), as the House of Representatives prepares for a key vote on a funding package. Lawmakers are under pressure to approve a Senate-backed deal that would temporarily reopen most federal agencies and extend Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding for two weeks, giving both parties more time to negotiate over immigration enforcement policies.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson returned to Washington, D.C., facing a divided Republican caucus and a slim majority. He urged colleagues to accept the bipartisan deal, which was crafted between President Donald Trump and Senate Democrats, or risk prolonging the shutdown. Some House conservatives remain opposed, demanding stricter voter ID laws or broader changes to immigration enforcement.
Democratic leaders, including Hakeem Jeffries, have said they will not provide the votes needed to fast-track the bill, forcing Republicans to rely on nearly all their members to advance the legislation through regular procedures. The House Rules Committee will consider the package Monday afternoon, setting up a possible floor vote Tuesday. If just one Republican defects, the measure could fail due to the GOP’s narrow majority.
The Senate compromise would fund departments including Health and Human Services, Transportation, Education, and Labor for the rest of the fiscal year, but only keep DHS running for two more weeks. The short-term deal leaves unresolved disputes over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) practices, which became a sticking point after recent deadly incidents involving federal agents in Minneapolis. Democrats have called for judicial rather than administrative warrants for immigration enforcement—an idea Republicans have rejected.
The shutdown, now in its third day, has already affected federal workers. Nearly 14,000 air traffic controllers are working without pay, and other services could be disrupted if the impasse continues. Both parties hope to avoid a repeat of last year’s record-long shutdown.
Some senior Democrats, such as Steny Hoyer and Jim Clyburn, have expressed support for the funding package during private calls, but the party is not united. If the House overcomes procedural hurdles and passes the bill, Congress will then face new negotiations on DHS funding before the next deadline later in February.
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