House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday that he expects the partial government shutdown, which began at midnight on January 31, to end early this coming week. Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press, Johnson said logistical challenges, including weather-related travel delays affecting lawmakers, have slowed the House’s ability to act but should be resolved soon.
Johnson told host Kristen Welker that he anticipates the House will move forward with a vote as early as Tuesday. He said the chamber is likely to pass a Senate-approved spending package largely with Republican votes, noting that House Democrats have declined to support an expedited process. Johnson said discussions with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries made clear that Democratic backing would not be guaranteed.
Democrats have delayed the vote by refusing to provide the votes needed to fast-track the legislation, arguing that funding for the Department of Homeland Security should be addressed separately. Democratic leaders have said they want to use the funding debate to pursue changes to federal immigration enforcement policies, including oversight and operational requirements for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The current negotiations follow a compromise reached between the White House and the Senate that would fund most federal agencies through the end of the fiscal year in September 2026. The Senate-approved package combines several spending bills previously passed by the House and includes a short-term extension of DHS funding at current levels to allow for further negotiations.
The House is expected to begin consideration of the legislation with a Rules Committee meeting on Monday, followed by a full vote. If approved without further delays, the measure would reopen the government and restore funding for affected services, including federal employees, transportation operations, and disaster response efforts, while talks over DHS funding continue.