House Democrats are signaling that they will resist the partial funding deal reached between the White House and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), which will fund most federal departments and agencies with the exception of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which will be given a two-week stopgap funding measure to allow further negotiations.
House Democrats have reportedly signaled that the House will not fast-track the legislation, which could lead to an extension of the ongoing partial shutdown that started on Saturday.
According to a report from Fox News, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY informed Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) that the Republican plan to advance the bill on Monday evening would not succeed, as House Democrats plan to review the Senate-passed measure independently. “The House Democratic Caucus will evaluate the spending legislation passed by the Senate on its merits and then decide how to proceed legislatively,” Jeffries said in a statement.
House Democrats are contending that they are not obligated to follow the Senate’s arrangement, which was negotiated in conjunction with Senate Republicans and the White House.
The deal in question, which the Senate approved on Friday, combines five spending bills that had previously passed the House. It provides full-year funding for most federal agencies through September 2026, the end of the fiscal year. However, it separates funding for the Department of Homeland Security by extending it at current levels for just two weeks.
This short-term extension aims to allow time for bipartisan negotiations on a longer-term DHS bill, as Democrats are hoping to hold out on “reforms” for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The House is scheduled to consider the bill starting with a Rules Committee meeting on Monday afternoon, followed by a full House vote. If the legislation passes without further delays, the government could reopen shortly thereafter, restoring funding and preventing disruptions such as limited paychecks for military personnel, airport workers, and federal healthcare services, as well as impacts on natural disaster management.
Following reopening, the focus would shift to the two-week DHS funding period. During this time, Democrats and Republicans are set to negotiate on a larger deal that could include concessions on federal immigration operations.
Republicans are expected to push for currently unrelated provisions in negotiations, such as measures requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration, which could complicate agreements.
President Donald Trump has been supportive of the deal, emphasizing the need to avoid prolonged disruptions. “Republicans and Democrats in Congress have come together to get the vast majority of the Government funded until September, while at the same time providing an extension to the Department of Homeland Security (including the very important Coast Guard, which we are expanding and rebuilding like never before),” the president wrote in a Truth Social post.
“Hopefully, both Republicans and Democrats will give a very much needed Bipartisan ‘YES’ Vote.”
