Much of the federal government is set to shut down at midnight after the Senate insisted on changes to the spending bill initially passed by the House, following months of tough negotiations with Democrats.
The bill, which saw approval in the Senate with a vote of 71-29, finances about two-thirds of the federal government. This includes funding for the Departments of the Army, Treasury, State, Health and Human Services, Labor, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, and Education.
However, by altering the bill sent from the House to exclude long-term funding for the Department of Homeland Security, the House will need to reconvene to attempt to pass the updated version from the Senate. It’s hard to say how that will play out.
With the House out of session, government agencies lacking congressional funding will close after midnight. Nonetheless, Congressional leaders and the White House anticipate that the shutdown may conclude as soon as Monday when the House returns.
Expected outcomes appear cautiously optimistic.
The six bills that the House sent to the Senate on January 22 included a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security, which covers Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as well. This particular bill was passed by the House with a narrow 220 to 207 vote, gaining some support from Democrats. Yet, following an incident where an armed activist was shot by law enforcement in Minneapolis, Senate Democrats reversed their earlier commitment to avoid another shutdown—especially after a lengthy 43-day shutdown brought on by them in October 2025.
Backed by the White House, the Senate’s approved bill seeks to avoid a long shutdown and includes a two-week continuing resolution (CR) for DHS spending, indicating upcoming contentious debates regarding a long-term DHS funding bill if the House agrees to the Senate’s version.
“It’s alarming that Democrats would push for a federal government shutdown and risk disaster relief resources from FEMA to settle a political score with DHS and ICE, who are upholding the rule of law,” remarked Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), who supported the bill. “Democrats are so enraged that President Trump is working to eliminate threats posed by violent criminals that they have chosen to risk vital assistance for families in need,” she continued.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) now faces the challenging task of renegotiating with various factions on both sides to get a vote on this complex funding bill.
Johnson aims to advance the bill under a suspension of rules, requiring two-thirds support from the House, yet this approach usually limits bipartisan backing. Historically, rules votes don’t garner much minority party support, although Johnson’s leadership during the Biden administration has seen some exceptions. A number of conservatives might refuse to endorse the governance that could facilitate an agreement with Democrats to limit ICE and similar agencies’ funding and authority.
Some Republicans contend that GOP appropriators have already compromised excessively in previous agreements, while Democrats remain firm in their approach.
On the other hand, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) indicated a lack of interest from House Democrats in adhering to the agreement reached between Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and the White House. Johnson’s pathway forward is complex.
If the House manages to approve the Senate’s revised funding package, it could further complicate discussions regarding DHS spending throughout the fiscal year. Democrats seek to reduce ICE’s enforcement capabilities and to prohibit face coverings, even as some activists have allegedly leaked sensitive law enforcement details referenced by some Republicans as a “kill list.”
Many Republicans argue that Democrats should make compromises in return for inevitable concessions on issues like election integrity laws and sanctuary city bans.
Earlier this year, three out of twelve annual spending bills were included in the CR that ended a previous government shutdown, and Congress passed another three bills early in January. Yet, the remaining six bills account for about two-thirds of discretionary spending within the federal government.
