House creeps toward end to government shutdown
As the government shutdown stretches into day three, all eyes are on the House, where lawmakers are expected to vote Tuesday to pass a federal spending bill. President Donald Trump says he’s working closely with Speaker Mike Johnson to pass the bill without changes.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the two are committed to “work together in good faith to address the issues that have been raised.”
Where the bill stands
The main sticking point remains funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) following two deadly immigration enforcement officer-involved shootings in Minneapolis and growing criticism over aggressive immigration enforcement tactics.
On Monday, the House Rules Committee advanced the package. The plan funds five of six outstanding bills, covering the Departments of Defense, Treasury, and State, while granting a two-week extension for DHS.
“This package is the result of negotiations with the president and senators,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Ky., told reporters on Monday. “But ultimately, it’s five of the six bills that we have already passed through the House. Homeland is just gonna go under a CR. We would have liked the whole package to go to the president’s desk.”
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House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he’s “confident” the House can pass the Senate-approved bills by Tuesday.
Trump has already struck a deal with Senate leaders, who approved temporary funding for DHS through Feb. 13, buying lawmakers time to debate possible new limits on immigration and customs enforcement.
The current partial government shutdown does impact DHS, but does not immediately impact Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). That’s because ICE received $75 billion in separate funding from the “Big Beautiful Bill” passed in July.
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The longest government shutdown in U.S. history began Oct. 1, 2025, and lasted 43 days.
Republicans’ demands
Some House Republicans are demanding that the funding package includes the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. The SAVE Act would require voters show proof of citizenship before they are eligible to participate in elections.
While Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., had said over the weekend that she would not vote in favor of a bill that did not include the SAVE Act, she changed her tune Monday.
“After speaking with many senators, as well as directly with POTUS, the pathway forward is through the standing filibuster,” Luna said in a social media post. “This would effectively keep the government open while allowing Republican senators to break through the ‘zombie’ filibuster and put the SAVE America Act up for a vote on the Senate floor.”
However, Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., appears to be standing staunch on his insistence on including the SAVE Act, saying, “If Dems want to play games, no spending package should come out of the House without the SAVE Act attached — securing American elections must be a non-negotiable.”
GOP margin tightens
Meanwhile, the House’s GOP margin just got tighter. Democrats now hold 214 seats after Texas Democrat Christian Menefee was sworn in Monday night.
Menefee won a special election in Texas on Saturday. He takes over the district represented by Democrat Rep. Sylvester Turner until his death in March 2025.
The Republican majority is now just 218 to 214.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
