UPDATE 3-US House Speaker Johnson says he has votes to end partial shutdown by Tuesday

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Sunday he believes he has the Republican votes to end a partial government shutdown within days and that ⁠the chamber will debate Immigration and Customs Enforcement reforms for two weeks after that.

UPDATE 3-US House Speaker Johnson says he has votes to end partial shutdown by Tuesday

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Sunday he believes he has the Republican votes to end a partial government shutdown within days and that ⁠the chamber will debate Immigration and Customs Enforcement reforms for two weeks after that. "I'm confident that we'll do it at least by Tuesday. We have a logistical challenge of getting everyone in town," he said on NBC's "Meet the Press". Transport problems are persisting following a snowstorm that ​affected travel in the southeastern U.S. The U.S. entered what is expected to be a brief shutdown on Saturday after Congress failed ‍to approve a deal to keep a wide swath of operations funded. The Senate easily passed a spending package on Friday but the House of Representatives is out of town.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been working to ensure a debate over immigration enforcement does not disrupt other government operations. That is a contrast from ⁠last autumn, when ‌both parties dug into their ⁠positions in a dispute over healthcare, prompting a shutdown that lasted a record 43 days and cost the U.S. economy an estimated $11 billion. The deal approved by the ‍Senate would separate the Department of Homeland Security from the broader spending package. This would allow lawmakers to approve funding for agencies such as the ​Pentagon and the Department of Labor while new restrictions are considered on federal immigration agents amid uproar after two U.S. citizens ⁠were shot dead in Minneapolis.

Johnson, whose Republicans have a razor-thin majority in the House, said "our intention" is to fund all agencies except for DHS by Tuesday, "and then we ⁠will have two weeks of good faith negotiations to figure it out." The bill contains a two-week stop-gap measure to fund DHS, but legislation on full-year DHS funding is in abeyance pending a deal on changes to ICE practices. Democrats are demanding reforms for ICE ⁠such as requiring mandatory body cameras, and ending their roving patrols and use of face masks.

"I just don’t see how, in good ⁠conscience, Democrats can vote for continuing ‌ICE funding when they’re killing American citizens," Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, told "Meet the Press". Johnson said he believes the Trump administration will make changes to some DHS practices but said ICE ⁠agents wear masks to protect their own identities and their families.

Give Feedback

Use this form for editorial or site feedback. We usually reply within 2 to 3 working days.

By submitting, you agree that we may use your email address to respond.