The U.S. government is currently in a partial shutdown, but House Speaker Mike Johnson says it may not last long. Today, Johnson said he believes the House has enough votes to pass a spending bill and end the shutdown by Tuesday. He shared this during an interview on NBCโs Meet the Press.
The shutdown began early Saturday morning after Congress failed to approve a spending plan before the deadline. When this happens, parts of the government must close, and many federal workers are sent home or asked to work without pay.
The main disagreement in Congress was over funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). After two U.S. citizens were shot and killed by federal immigration agents in Minnesota, Senate Democrats demanded changes to the spending bill. They pushed to remove long term DHS funding and replace it with a temporary two week extension. The Senate passed this revised version.
Now, the bill must go back to the House for approval. The House is expected to begin working on it Monday, starting with a meeting of the House Rules Committee. Johnson said this process may be challenging because lawmakers must return to Washington quickly.
Johnson also said he does not expect help from Democrats to speed up the vote. Because of this, Republicans will likely have to pass the bill on their own by following the normal voting process.
If the House approves the bill and it is signed, the shutdown will end, and government services can return to normal. Until then, workers and agencies remain in limbo, waiting for Congress to act.