House Speaker Mike Johnson says lawmakers will move quickly to end the partial shutdown despite travel disruptions and unresolved disputes over DHS funding.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana said he is confident the House of Representatives will vote to end the partial government shutdown that began Saturday after Congress failed to pass legislation to keep federal operations funded.
“I’m confident that we’ll do it at least by Tuesday,” Johnson said during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday. “We have a logistical challenge of getting everyone in town.”
Johnson suggested the delay is largely due to transportation disruptions caused by recent winter storms, which left some regions without power and led to thousands of flight cancellations late last month.
He said that after discussions with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Republicans are prepared to move forward largely without Democratic support. The House must first pass a procedural rule before voting on the funding measure, which Johnson said Republicans will “probably do this mostly on our own,” calling that outcome “very unfortunate.”
Johnson said the Senate’s action over the weekend advanced nearly all federal funding bills. “After the Senate acted over the weekend, we will now have 11 of 12 separate appropriations bills approved by both chambers,” he said. “Because they modified our package, they sent it over a little differently, which means we’ve got to address the bills again.”
The shutdown began Saturday after Congress failed to approve a deal to fund a broad range of government operations. While the Senate passed a spending package on Jan. 30, the House is currently out of session.
Johnson, whose party holds a narrow House majority, said Republicans plan to fund all federal agencies except the Department of Homeland Security by Tuesday. He said that approach would allow “two weeks of good faith negotiations” to resolve remaining disputes over DHS funding.
Democrats have pushed for changes to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including mandatory body cameras, an end to roving patrols, and restrictions on agents wearing face masks. Some lawmakers have cited recent violence during protests as justification for opposing continued ICE funding.
“I just don’t see how, in good conscience, Democrats can vote for continuing ICE funding” following the shootings, Rep. Ro Khanna of California said during a separate appearance on “Meet the Press.”
Johnson said the Trump administration may adjust some DHS practices but indicated ICE agents would likely continue wearing masks to protect their identities.
“There’s been tragedies in Minnesota and in Minneapolis in particular, brought about in large measure by the circumstances on the ground,” Johnson said. He added that agitators have been doxxing and threatening ICE agents.
“The reason that ICE agents wear masks is to protect their own identities and protect their own families,” Johnson said. “In some circumstances, they’ve had a price put on their heads effectively by local officials. And that’s what’s created the dangerous conditions.”
The Department of Homeland Security has issued multiple statements warning of a sharp rise in violence against ICE personnel under the Trump administration, which has pledged to deport large numbers of illegal immigrants, particularly those with violent criminal histories. In October 2025, a gunman armed with a rifle opened fire at an ICE office in Dallas, killing at least two people before taking his own life.
In January, DHS said reported assaults on ICE agents had increased by 1,300 percent, with death threats rising 8,000 percent and vehicular attacks increasing 3,200 percent. In one of the Minneapolis incidents, video footage showed a protester later identified as Renee Good striking an ICE agent with her vehicle while attempting to flee. The agent responded by shooting and killing her.
The current shutdown follows the end of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, which concluded in mid-November 2025.
Original article
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