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The Senate passed a $174 billion spending package Thursday, moving Congress one step closer to averting a partial government shutdown as the January 30 deadline approaches. The three-bill package, known as a “minibus,” now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk after clearing the Senate despite brief delay tactics from Democrats.
The legislation funds commerce, justice, science, energy, water development, interior, and environment agencies, representing approximately half of the funding needed to keep the federal government fully operational.
“Appropriators are working on another package of the four remaining bills, which I hope will receive the same bipartisan backing that has characterized the appropriations cycle thus far,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said on the Senate floor. “Before the end of the month the Senate will need to process all of these funding bills and get them to the president’s desk.”
The progress comes as both parties remain eager to avoid repeating last year’s record-breaking 43-day government shutdown. However, significant challenges remain before all necessary funding is secured, particularly regarding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Congressional Democrats are demanding restrictions on DHS funding, especially money allocated to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent last week. The incident has intensified already contentious negotiations around immigration enforcement funding.
Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), ranking member of the Homeland Security Appropriations subcommittee, acknowledged the difficulty in reaching an agreement. “That’s one of the difficult things to figure out, is whether there’s any language you can put in a budget that the administration will follow,” Murphy said. “But yes, I think there are ways that we could write accountability into the budget that would be hard for the administration to avoid.”
His Republican counterpart, Homeland Security Appropriations Chair Katie Britt (R-Ala.), indicated that Republicans had sent a “counteroffer to the Democrats but have yet to hear back from them.” When asked about the possibility of a continuing resolution (CR) specifically for DHS funding, Britt expressed preference for a complete bill: “What I want to do is actually pass a bill.”
The Senate’s action follows the House’s advancement of a separate two-bill package on Wednesday evening. That $80 billion legislation, which passed with broad bipartisan support in a 341-79 vote, funds the State Department, national security operations, and federal financial services. It now awaits Senate consideration.
House appropriators are expected to release their largest funding package in the coming days, covering the War Department, Labor Department, Education Department, Transportation Department, and Health and Human Services Department. House Republican leadership hopes to advance this legislation next week while the Senate is in recess.
The question of whether DHS funding will be included in this package or handled separately remains unresolved. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) was direct about the current state of negotiations, telling reporters Wednesday, “Right now, there’s no bipartisan path forward for the Department of Homeland Security bill.”
Congressional sources familiar with the negotiations suggest a short-term funding extension specifically for DHS might become necessary while broader disagreements are resolved. Such a targeted approach would allow other government operations to continue without disruption while providing additional time to address the contentious immigration enforcement issues.
The urgency to complete the funding process is heightened by the congressional calendar, with the House scheduled to be out of session the week following next, creating a tight timeline for finalizing all necessary appropriations before the end of January deadline.
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20 Comments
Interesting to see the Senate pass a $174 billion spending package to avoid a government shutdown. With the DHS funding deadline looming, it will be important to see how the remaining bills are negotiated on a bipartisan basis.
Hopefully this helps provide some stability and continuity in government operations. The key will be whether they can resolve the DHS funding issue in a constructive manner.
This spending package seems like a reasonable compromise to keep the government running, though the DHS funding challenge remains. It’s good to see Congress working in a bipartisan way to avoid another drawn-out shutdown.
Avoiding a repeat of last year’s prolonged shutdown is definitely a priority. Let’s hope they can find a solution that satisfies both parties on the DHS budget.
A $174 billion spending package is a significant amount. I’ll be curious to see how the DHS funding challenge is ultimately resolved, as that could be a sticking point in the final negotiations.
Avoiding another government shutdown is crucial, so hopefully the parties can find a compromise solution on the DHS budget.
A $174 billion spending package is a significant amount, and it’s good to see Congress working together to keep the government running. The DHS funding issue will be a key point of focus in the final negotiations.
Glad to see Congress making progress on government funding, but the DHS issue will be the real test. Curious to see how the final negotiations unfold and whether they can reach a bipartisan agreement.
The Senate’s passage of this $174 billion package is a positive step, but the DHS funding issue could still prove tricky. Curious to see how the final negotiations unfold before the end-of-month deadline.
This $174 billion spending package seems like a step in the right direction, but the DHS funding challenge could still prove tricky. Curious to see how the final negotiations unfold before the deadline.
Avoiding another government shutdown is crucial, so I hope the parties can find a mutually agreeable solution on the DHS budget.
A $174 billion spending package is substantial, and it’s encouraging to see Congress working together to keep the government operational. The DHS funding challenge will be an important part of the final negotiations.
Avoiding another government shutdown is crucial, so I hope the parties can find a compromise solution that satisfies both sides on the DHS budget.
This spending package seems like a step in the right direction, but the DHS funding issue could still prove tricky. Bipartisanship and creative problem-solving will be key to resolving this before the deadline.
A $174 billion spending package is a significant amount. I’m glad to see Congress working together to avoid another government shutdown, but the DHS funding challenge will require some careful compromise.
Hopefully both parties can find a solution that works for everyone and provides the necessary funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
This spending package seems like a move in the right direction, but the DHS funding issue will be the real test. Bipartisanship is key to getting the remaining bills passed before the deadline.
This spending package appears to be a reasonable compromise, but the DHS funding challenge remains. Bipartisanship and constructive dialogue will be essential to resolving this before the deadline.
Avoiding another government shutdown is crucial, so I hope the parties can find a solution that works for everyone on the DHS budget.
It’s good to see Congress making progress on government funding, but the DHS issue will be the real test. Bipartisanship and compromise will be essential to getting this all sorted out by the end of the month.