In the end, only one Republican voted against advancing the government funding bill, and the bill passed 217-215.
Democrats used government shutdown threat to spur negotiations over DHS funding
Lawmakers are at odds over government funding for DHS amid widespread discontent over the killing of Alex Preti by Border Patrol agents.
House Speaker Mike Johnson was able to avoid defecting just one Republican in advancing his government spending bill to end the recent four-day partial government shutdown. That’s exactly what happened.
The bill’s move on Tuesday, February 3, signals a major victory on the horizon for Mr. Johnson and President Donald Trump, and shows that the two-term Republican chief executive still has significant influence over the party. President Trump had been pushing the bill to avoid a prolonged government shutdown that could have political consequences ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
But Trump’s success pushing the bill was not without some drama. Republican Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) and John Rhodes (R-Tenn.) initially voted against advancing the bill, and four Republicans abstained during the initial vote. If they hadn’t changed their minds, the vote would have failed 212-216 after all Democrats voted against the bill. Instead, Republican leaders continued to vote and tried to dissuade opponents.
The four senators who initially abstained (Byron Donald, R-Fla., Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., and Troy Neals, R-Texas) ultimately voted to pass the bill, with Rose reversing his vote and Massey the only one not voting. The bill passed 217-215, and lawmakers are poised to vote again later Tuesday for final passage. President Trump is expected to sign the bill into law.
Massey frequently votes against spending bills and clashed with President Trump again this week in a social media post criticizing his wife. Rose posted on social media that he hopes to include the SAVE Act, a voter ID bill, in the funding package.
“House Republicans must hold the line and refuse to compromise,” Rose said, adding, “The SAVE Act is among the must-pass bills.”
Other House conservatives had pushed for amendments to the bill to include voter ID provisions, but withdrew after President Trump said any changes to the bill would require a return to the Senate. Mr. Rose eventually did something similar, but stopped short of causing heartburn among House leaders.
The narrow final vote of 217 to 215 underscored the difficulty of Johnson’s job as prime minister, with his majority now razor-thin. “Republicans will act responsibly,” he said before the vote, saying he was confident it would be successful.
It received significant support from Mr. Trump, who repeatedly urged lawmakers to pass the bill.
“We need to be open to government. I hope every Republican and Democrat joins me in supporting this bill and sending it to my desk without delay,” President Trump posted on social media on February 2.
Republicans have at times signaled a willingness to push back against Trump, but Trump was able to persuade them to agree to a compromise government funding package despite concerns expressed by some Republicans.
The bill would extend funding for the Department of Homeland Security for just two weeks while lawmakers debate Immigration and Customs Enforcement reforms. Some Republican lawmakers support reforming the agency, but others question its necessity.
