House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed optimism Tuesday that the three-day partial shutdown of much of the U.S. government is close to ending.
Speaking to reporters, Johnson said he has secured enough support for a key procedural vote that would reopen the government, which has been largely closed since Saturday morning.
Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has made it clear that Democrats will not assist Republicans in advancing the procedure, forcing Johnson to rely on his narrow GOP majority. With the swearing-in of a new Democratic lawmaker on Monday, Johnson can only afford to lose a single Republican vote on any party-line measure.
“We’re going to pass the rule today; it was never in doubt to me,” Johnson said. “We’re governing responsibly and getting the job done.”
Johnson spent Monday navigating internal party divisions, including resistance from conservative members pushing for a vote on the controversial SAVE Act, a voter-ID measure.
The legislation under consideration would fully fund key federal departments—including Defense, Treasury, State, Health and Human Services, Labor, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, and Education—through the end of the fiscal year on September 30.
Senate Democrats, however, removed Department of Homeland Security funding from the bill, replacing it with a two-week stopgap measure after two U.S. citizens were killed by federal immigration officers. Negotiations are ongoing to include new oversight measures for immigration enforcement in the DHS funding portion of the bill.