U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson stated on Sunday that he believes Republicans have enough votes to end the partial government shutdown within days, after which the House will begin a two-week debate on reforms for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). During an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press," Johnson remarked, "I am confident we can get this done by Tuesday at the latest. The logistical challenge now is getting everyone back to Washington." This comes as a winter storm continues to disrupt travel across the southeastern United States.
The U.S. entered a shutdown on Saturday, which is expected to be brief, after Congress failed to approve a spending agreement to fund broad operations of the government. While the Senate easily passed a spending bill on Friday, House members remain in recess.
Republican and Democratic lawmakers are working to ensure that the debate over immigration enforcement does not disrupt other government functions. This situation stands in stark contrast to last fall, when a dispute over healthcare reform led to a record 43-day government shutdown, costing the U.S. economy an estimated $11 billion.
The agreement passed by the Senate separates funding for the Department of Homeland Security from the broader spending package. This approach allows Congress to approve budgets for other agencies, such as the Pentagon and the Department of Labor, while new restrictions specific to ICE are considered.
Johnson stated that "our goal" is to fund all agencies except the Department of Homeland Security by Tuesday, "followed by two weeks of good-faith negotiations to resolve the issue." Johnson's Republican party holds only a slim majority in the House of Representatives.
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