Senate Sets Thursday Vote on Funding Bill as Shutdown Deadline Looms

Senate Republicans are moving to hold a procedural vote as soon as Thursday on a government funding package, setting up a high-stakes showdown with Democrats ahead of a potential Jan. 31 government shutdown.

Republicans say they plan to advance the House-passed spending package, while Democrats have vowed to filibuster unless funding for the Department of Homeland Security is removed and the bill is amended in response to two recent fatal shootings in Minnesota.

Key Stakes

Avoiding a shutdown may hinge on whether the White House and Senate Democrats can agree to changes — especially on immigration enforcement language — that would satisfy enough senators to overcome a filibuster. Party leaders are racing to find a compromise before the funding deadline.

"The best pathway forward is to be able to pass them all this week. If we can find appropriate things within the purview of the administration where we can make that happen, that would be my goal," Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) said, signaling potential administrative fixes but reiterating GOP intent to pass the House package.

"I hope everyone would realize that a government shutdown is extremely harmful and should be avoided at all costs," said Sen. Susan Collins, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Senators on both sides will be watching negotiations between the White House and congressional Democrats for any last-minute concessions or executive actions that could break the impasse. If no agreement is reached, federal funding could lapse at the end of January, disrupting services and agencies across the government.