The US Congress is moving quickly to end the government shutdown after a House committee approved a spending bill late Monday. The full House is expected to vote on Tuesday. If passed, the bill would reopen most federal agencies and keep the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) running for two more weeks.
This shutdown began after spending talks broke down. Democrats were angered by the killing of two US citizens by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis. That incident caused a major split in negotiations over funding for DHS.
Senate Already Passed Funding Package
Late Friday, the Senate approved a large spending package. It included five full-year funding bills covering most federal agencies through September. It also included a short-term stopgap plan for DHS. The stopgap gives lawmakers two more weeks to negotiate immigration enforcement policies.
A government shutdown means federal funding is paused for non-essential operations. Agencies must halt services, send employees home without pay, or force them to work without pay. The impact is felt by millions of Americans who rely on government services.
On Monday night, the House Rules Committee agreed to send the Senate package to the full House. This cleared the way for Tuesday’s vote.
Trump Pushes for Fast Approval
Former President Donald Trump has pressured Republicans to approve the bill quickly. He argued that there should be no changes to the deal. In a Truth Social post on Monday, Trump said the bill must pass immediately.
“We will work together in good faith to address the issues that have been raised,” he said. “But we cannot have another long, pointless, and destructive Shutdown that will hurt our Country so badly.”
Trump referenced last summer’s 43-day shutdown, the longest in US history. His message was aimed at keeping the party united and avoiding another costly stoppage.
Democrats Demand Immigration Reforms
Democrats in the House want new limits on DHS immigration enforcement before they agree to the spending package. They are demanding changes to how federal agents conduct immigration raids. Democrats are particularly concerned about heavily armed agents who operate masked, unidentified, and without warrants.
The demand comes after national outrage over the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. Both were killed during an immigration raid by federal agents.
In response, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced new measures on Monday. She said federal agents in Minneapolis will begin wearing body cameras immediately. She also said this policy will later expand nationwide.
A Tight Vote and Political Risk
House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he is confident the bill will pass. He told Fox News Sunday, “We’ll get all this done by Tuesday; I’m convinced.”
However, Johnson leads a narrow Republican majority. He cannot afford to lose more than one Republican vote. His margin weakened further on Monday when a Democrat won a special election in Texas and joined the House.
If enough Republicans oppose the bill, Johnson may need Democratic votes to pass it. This would increase the political pressure and could create a risky compromise.
If the House approves the Senate plan, lawmakers will have two weeks to finalize a full-year DHS funding bill. That timeline will be tight and likely involve intense negotiations on immigration policy.
