The spending gaffe appears likely to come to an end after some Republicans voiced support for bringing forward the funding plan.
Lawmakers have until the end of Friday to keep the government fully open.
Democrats are taking a stand against President Trump’s immigration policies following the shooting death of Alex Preti by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis.
WASHINGTON – Four days into a partial government shutdown over an immigration crackdown and the killing of two Minnesotans by federal agents in January, House lawmakers seemed to think a solution was within reach.
Congress is preparing a funding package that will give the Department of Homeland Security just two weeks of funding as lawmakers negotiate far-reaching reforms to the agency, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday afternoon that he had met with Republican leaders in both the House and Senate.
“I think we’re pretty close to a solution,” he said.
House committees proposed five spending bills and short-term DHS spending measures Monday night. The House of Representatives is expected to vote on steps to end the government shutdown, but the White House will need as many Republican votes as possible given the lack of broad support from House Democrats.
Leaders of the House Rules Committee on Monday night brought forward funding plans to help end the government shutdown, revealing deep partisan divisions.
Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) said the House has never taken a government shutdown lightly, but said the Senate has “blown away” previous spending policies. He encouraged swift approval of the bill, which would allow lawmakers to address other issues.
“To say this is disappointing would be an understatement,” Fox said. “This process should be over by now.”
The committee’s top Democrat, Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, spoke for many Democrats in opposing the DHS spending bill, citing last month’s shooting deaths of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Preti.
“I’m not going to vote to fund this agency for two seconds, let alone two weeks,” McGovern said. “They are terrorizing our communities and acting as if they are above the law.”
No, mandatory spending that is not eligible for annual spending, including Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, will not end during a partial shutdown, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
National parks and food inspection services are also operating as usual, CRFB said.
However, a partial shutdown could mean that certain federal operations are halted or curtailed to ensure only essential operations are performed.
For example, guidance issued by the Department of Education ahead of the long-term closure in 2025 said investigations into allegations of civil rights violations would be suspended. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in its contingency plan for this year that it will no longer be able to process Freedom of Information requests and the National Institutes of Health will refuse to accept new patients into clinical research trials. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it would continue to monitor the spread.
