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US Shutdown: Trump Reopens Federal Government, DHS Faces New Deadline in Two Weeks
The three-day partial government shutdown in the US ended after President Trump signed a spending bill. This move provided funding to most federal departments for the remainder of the fiscal year. However, funding for the Department of Homeland Security is only temporary.
US President Trump reopened the federal government on Tuesday afternoon when he signed a broad spending package. After the signing in the Oval Office, Trump said, "I am pleased to sign the Consolidated Appropriations Act. This immediately reopens the federal government and provides funding to most departments for the remainder of the fiscal year."
The President's signature ended the three-day partial government shutdown. However, this bill only provides temporary reprieve for the Department of Homeland Security, which may face a funding crisis in two weeks' time. According to media reports, the next deadline for DHS is set for two weeks later.
Yesterday, on Tuesday, the US House of Representatives voted in favor of spending bills that are aimed at resolving the partial shutdown in order to provide enough time to engage in bipartisan discussions over the accountability of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). According to The Washington Post, in case no deal is reached, DHS services, including those of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), may be shut down on 14th February.
According to the Washington Post, ICE and other immigration-related operations were operating on the $170 billion allocated to Homeland Security under the Republican tax and spending law passed last year. Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said that ICE and the Department of Homeland Security must make major changes. If this is not done, the full year's funding bill will be in trouble.
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The House voted 217-214 on the spending bill. House Democrats told Speaker Mike Johnson they would not cooperate in initiating the process, although 21 Democrats voted in favor of the final bill. At the same time, 21 Republican lawmakers also voted against it.
After signing the bill, Trump praised House Speaker Johnson, saying, "Speaker Mike Johnson did a great job. We appreciate it." Johnson said, "I'm happy to report that the Republicans have completed the work." He expressed hope that a DHS shutdown next week could be avoided and said, "This is not the time to play around with funding. We look forward to good faith negotiations over the next 10 days."
Thus, the government has reopened for now, but the political tussle over Homeland Security funding remains a possibility in the coming days.
