House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told Speaker Mike Johnson that Democrats will not help fast-track a short-term funding bill on Monday, raising the prospect that a partial government shutdown could continue. The Senate passed a deal that funds most agencies through September but gives DHS only two weeks while immigration negotiations continue. Jeffries demanded major DHS reforms — including ICE body cameras, limits on roving patrols, and tighter warrant standards — and called for a full House debate. Passage faces additional uncertainty from conservative GOP hardliners.
Jeffries Says Democrats Won’t Fast-Track Stopgap Funding, Raising Risk Of Extended Shutdown
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, speaks during a news conference at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 31. - Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg/Getty Images
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told Speaker Mike Johnson on Saturday that House Democrats will not help Republicans fast-track a short-term funding bill to reopen the government if the House attempts to move the measure on Monday, two people familiar with the leaders' call said. The move increases the chance that a partial government shutdown will extend beyond Monday.
The Senate approved a bipartisan package late Friday that would fund most of the federal government through the end of September but provide the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) only two weeks of funding to allow further negotiations on immigration enforcement. The Senate vote came just hours before the funding deadline; the House is not expected to return to Washington until Monday to consider final passage.
Why Democrats Are Holding Back
Many House Democrats oppose the two-week extension for DHS, and Jeffries has aligned with their demands for substantive reforms. In an interview Saturday on MS NOW, Jeffries said House and Senate Democrats are "in alignment" on those demands and insisted on a "full and complete debate" rather than a quick, closed process.
"We’re in alignment with the way in which Leader Schumer and Senate Democrats have articulated those demands, and we’re going to need to see dramatic change as it relates to how the Department of Homeland Security operates moving forward," Jeffries said.
Jeffries outlined specific Democratic demands to rein in DHS, including requiring Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to wear body cameras and remove face coverings, ending roving patrols, and tightening standards for warrants used in searches and arrests. "We need ICE and DHS agencies to conduct themselves like every other law enforcement agency in the country," he said.
Procedural Options And Political Obstacles
Speaker Johnson had hoped to pass the package under a procedure known as "suspending the rules," which requires a two-thirds majority in the narrowly divided House and would have depended on dozens of Democratic votes. Jeffries' refusal to provide those votes forces Republicans to try to advance the bill with GOP votes alone. That would require the House to first approve a rule allowing passage by a simple majority.
Even if Republicans pursue that path, the outcome is uncertain: several conservative hardliners have expressed anger over provisions in the legislation, and those dissenting Republicans could block passage.
House Democrats scheduled a caucus call for 5 p.m. ET Sunday to discuss strategy, a move first reported by Punchbowl News.
Practical Impact Of A Partial Shutdown
Because some agencies were already funded through the fiscal year, only parts of the government have closed. Departments such as Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, Interior, Energy, Justice and Commerce will remain open. Tens of millions of people are unlikely to lose food assistance benefits this time, but even a partial shutdown can cause significant disruption if prolonged: travelers may face airport delays, many federal employees could miss paychecks, and borrowers may have trouble accessing federal loans for homes or small businesses.
This story was updated with additional information. CNN's Tami Luhby and Aleena Fayaz contributed to this report.
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