Johnson Confident House Has Votes to End Government Shutdown by Tuesday

TLDR

• House Speaker Mike Johnson says he has enough Republican votes to end the partial government shutdown by Tuesday
• The Senate passed a spending bill on Saturday but the House is out of town due to snowstorm travel disruptions in the southeastern U.S.
• The government entered a partial shutdown on Saturday after Congress failed to approve funding for operations
• The Senate deal separates Department of Homeland Security funding from other agencies like the Pentagon and Department of Labor
• All agencies except DHS would be funded by Tuesday, with two weeks of negotiations planned for DHS funding linked to immigration enforcement debate

The United States government entered a partial shutdown on Saturday after Congress failed to pass a funding agreement. House Speaker Mike Johnson told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday that he expects to resolve the situation by Tuesday.

Johnson said he has the necessary Republican votes to pass the spending bill. The main challenge is getting House members back to Washington after a snowstorm disrupted travel in the southeastern United States.

The Senate passed a spending package on Saturday without issue. However, the House of Representatives was not in session to vote on the measure.

Senate Deal Separates DHS from Other Agency Funding

The Senate-approved deal takes a different approach to government funding. It separates the Department of Homeland Security from the broader spending package.

This allows Congress to fund agencies like the Pentagon and Department of Labor immediately. The DHS funding will be negotiated separately over the next two weeks.

The separation stems from an ongoing debate about immigration enforcement. Lawmakers are discussing new restrictions on federal immigration agents following shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis.

Johnson confirmed the plan to fund all agencies except DHS by Tuesday. He said lawmakers will then have “two weeks of good faith negotiation to figure it out” regarding DHS funding.

Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have worked to prevent immigration disputes from shutting down other government operations. This represents a different approach compared to last autumn’s shutdown.

The previous shutdown lasted a record 43 days and cost the U.S. economy an estimated $11 billion. That shutdown was triggered by disputes over healthcare policy.

The current partial shutdown affects a wide range of government operations. By separating DHS funding, Congress aims to minimize the economic impact.

Transport problems continue to affect lawmakers’ ability to return to Washington. The snowstorm that hit the southeastern U.S. has caused delays in getting House members back to the capital.

Johnson expressed confidence that the logistical challenges can be overcome by Tuesday. Once enough members arrive, the House can vote on the Senate-passed spending bill.

The two-week negotiation period for DHS funding will focus on immigration enforcement policies. This gives both parties time to reach an agreement on controversial restrictions.

Johnson made his comments during a Sunday morning interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

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