Senate Passes Funding Stopgap Deal, But Brief Shutdown Looms as House Waits
By CU Today Staff —
WASHINGTON--The Senate on Friday evening approved a compromise spending package aimed at averting a prolonged government shutdown, though a brief partial shutdown is still expected to begin early Saturday because the House is out of session, POLITICO reported.
The measure passed 71–29, following a deal between Senate Democrats and President Donald Trump to separate Department of Homeland Security funding from the broader package.
Under the agreement, lawmakers attached a two-week DHS funding extension to five full-year spending bills that would fund the Pentagon, State Department, and most other federal agencies through Sept. 30, according to POLITICO. While the vote allows Congress to lock in funding for the vast majority of the government, the timing means agencies not yet funded will still face a short lapse.
Attention now shifts to the House, where passage is uncertain. Speaker Mike Johnson told House Republicans on a private call Friday that leadership is likely to bring the Senate package to the floor Monday evening under a fast-track procedure, a move that would require a two-thirds majority and significant Democratic support, POLITICO reported. Conservatives have warned they oppose any changes to the House-passed version, while many Democrats remain uneasy about the short-term DHS extension.
If enacted, the deal would fund more than 95% of the federal government, leaving only a full-year DHS bill unresolved, POLITICO said. Congress has already completed funding for agencies including Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, and Justice. The Office of Management and Budget has issued shutdown guidance for unfunded agencies, including potential furloughs.
Democrats secured a major concession by forcing DHS funding into a short-term patch rather than a full-year bill, unifying behind demands to revisit immigration enforcement policy after a recent fatal encounter involving federal agents in Minnesota, POLITICO reported. However, negotiations over longer-term DHS policy changes remain unsettled, with Republicans open to limited oversight measures but resistant to broader enforcement restrictions.
Republicans are also pressing their own priorities as talks continue. Sen. Lindsey Graham has demanded a future vote on legislation targeting so-called sanctuary cities, while other GOP lawmakers expect another short-term DHS extension may ultimately be required, POLITICO reported.
“While we acknowledge the Senate’s passage of an updated government funding bill as a necessary step toward fiscal stability, the fact that a partial shutdown still looms is deeply concerning for our nation’s service members, veterans, and the credit unions that serve them,” said Jason Stverak, chief advocacy officer of the Defense Credit Union Council. “Uncertainty at the federal level disrupts financial services, undermines confidence, and places added strain on hardworking federal employees and beneficiaries. We urge both chambers of Congress to swiftly complete appropriations and provide the predictability families and communities depend on.”
Originally reported by CU Today.