The Senate has made initial moves to prevent a government shutdown, yet the deadline for maintaining government operations is approaching rapidly, indicating there’s still a way to go.
On Monday night, lawmakers passed the first procedural step for a $174 billion three-bill package, putting a vote to send part of the funding plan, often referred to as the minibus, to President Trump later this week.
This bill, which got through the House last week, successfully passed an important test vote with strong bipartisan backing. This suggests that neither party is keen on triggering another government shutdown so soon after the historically lengthy one just a few months back.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer pointed out last week that Senate Democrats are opposed to another shutdown, expressing, “Democrats want to fund spending and spending bills through 2026.”
He further emphasized a desire to collaborate “in a bicameral, bipartisan way,” with some good news being that Republican appropriators are open to working together, he mentioned on ABC.
While the successful procedural vote is encouraging for the overall package, it doesn’t fully resolve concerns about the prospect of further shutdowns.
There’s a looming deadline: January 30, which is when the government must secure the remaining funding. Some senators are expressing doubts about whether they can finalize everything by then, which implies that another continuing resolution may be necessary.
Senator John Kennedy from Louisiana, who sits on the Senate Appropriations Committee, pointed out that a short-term funding bill is almost certain to be introduced.
In addition, there’s another smaller funding proposal that might soon clear the House. However, this bundle, totaling $77 billion in two bills related to financial services and national security, won’t be sufficient to stop a shutdown.
Notably, the package lacks a spending bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a recurrent point of contention for lawmakers and often a source of political strife.
Schumer emphasized that only three funding bills have been passed so far. If this latest batch succeeds, lawmakers will have completed half of the necessary pieces to avoid a shutdown.
Kennedy remarked, “Of course there will be a short-term CR,” and added a question about its size: “how big will it be?”
Senator Chris Murphy from Connecticut expressed a desire to include restrictions for Border Patrol in the DHS bill, pointing out that the bill has historically posed challenges.
The situation escalated last week following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by ICE agents in Minnesota, raising tensions around these discussions.
Murphy argued that this incident illustrates the potential dangers associated with ICE and police actions. He stated the need for additional training for law enforcement to ensure safety.
While he acknowledged the necessity of garnering Republican support, he insisted that concerns must be addressed to gain Democratic backing for the DHS appropriations. He noted, “That’s how the Senate works.”
