House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday he is “confident” the partial federal government shutdown will end by Tuesday, as the House prepares to vote on a Senate-approved spending package aimed at reopening the government.
Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” the Louisiana Republican said he believes he has the votes to pass the measure when lawmakers return to Washington this week. The House is expected to begin formal consideration of the bill Monday, starting with a meeting of the House Rules Committee.
The government partially shut down early Saturday after Congress failed to approve a funding package by the Jan. 30 deadline and send it to President Donald Trump. The Senate subsequently approved an amended version of the bill, which now requires another vote in the House.
The revisions came after Senate Democrats objected to the House’s original package following the fatal shooting of two U.S. citizens by federal immigration agents in Minnesota. Democrats insisted that funding for the Department of Homeland Security be stripped from the broader spending bill and replaced with a two-week stopgap measure. That change forced the bill back to the House for reconsideration.
Johnson said he is not relying on Democratic votes to speed passage under a “suspension of the rules,” which would require a two-thirds majority. Instead, he expects Republicans to advance the bill largely on their own through the regular legislative process.
“We have a logistical challenge of getting everyone in town,” Johnson said, adding that conversations with House Democratic leaders made clear the bill would need to move without bipartisan fast-tracking.
Democrats have demanded assurances that changes to DHS immigration operations will be addressed before they support any funding measure. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Sunday that Democrats want concrete action, not promises of future reform.
“The administration can’t just talk the talk,” Jeffries said on ABC’s “This Week.” “They need to walk the walk. That should begin today, not in two weeks.”
Several Democrats have already said they will oppose the package. Rep. Ro Khanna of California said he plans to vote against the bill, arguing that he cannot support additional funding tied to immigration enforcement agencies.
Democratic resistance complicates Johnson’s task, particularly given the GOP’s narrow majority in the House. Republicans currently hold a 218-213 edge, a margin that Johnson described as effectively one vote for the remainder of 2026.
Despite the challenges, Johnson said Republicans intend to show they can govern and bring the shutdown to a close quickly.
In addition to the short-term DHS funding extension, the package would fully fund several major federal departments through the end of the fiscal year, including Defense, Treasury, State, Health and Human Services, Labor, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation and Education.
If the House passes the bill this week, it would be sent to Trump for his signature, ending the shutdown that has disrupted federal services nationwide.
Source: NBC News