Senate Democrats and Republicans have reached a tentative agreement on government funding to avoid a shutdown, but it's unclear if they'll be able to pass the bill before Friday turns into Saturday. The $1.2 trillion package includes five of the six remaining appropriations bills, with some senators expressing concerns over the deal, particularly regarding a provision that would bar lawmakers from suing over the collection of their phone metadata as part of Jack Smith's investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
President Donald Trump has expressed his support for the agreement, tweeting that he wants to avoid a shutdown. However, some Republican senators, such as Lindsey Graham and John Boozman, have raised concerns about certain provisions in the deal. The agreement also includes a two-week continuing resolution on Department of Homeland Security funding, which would give lawmakers more time to consider policy changes for immigration enforcement.
Democrats are pushing for stronger legislation to rein in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis. The deal highlights the precarious position Republicans found themselves in, as public scrutiny of ICE has increased.
The funding package is unlikely to prevent a partial shutdown, however, as lawmakers would need to pass it before Friday turns into Saturday. Speaker Mike Johnson has stated that the House won't reconvene until Monday morning, which could leave the deal vulnerable to changes or sabotage.
Conservative House Republicans have vowed to make their own demands during negotiations over DHS funding, threatening to ratchet up the already tricky process. The fragile agreement has set a Feb. 13 deadline for a deal to fund Homeland Security, and Democrats say they won't settle for side deals with Trump.
President Donald Trump has expressed his support for the agreement, tweeting that he wants to avoid a shutdown. However, some Republican senators, such as Lindsey Graham and John Boozman, have raised concerns about certain provisions in the deal. The agreement also includes a two-week continuing resolution on Department of Homeland Security funding, which would give lawmakers more time to consider policy changes for immigration enforcement.
Democrats are pushing for stronger legislation to rein in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis. The deal highlights the precarious position Republicans found themselves in, as public scrutiny of ICE has increased.
The funding package is unlikely to prevent a partial shutdown, however, as lawmakers would need to pass it before Friday turns into Saturday. Speaker Mike Johnson has stated that the House won't reconvene until Monday morning, which could leave the deal vulnerable to changes or sabotage.
Conservative House Republicans have vowed to make their own demands during negotiations over DHS funding, threatening to ratchet up the already tricky process. The fragile agreement has set a Feb. 13 deadline for a deal to fund Homeland Security, and Democrats say they won't settle for side deals with Trump.
so like i get why repubs are all worried about this phone metadata thing... it's a pretty big invasion of privacy lol. but at the same time i think democrats need to chill out too, five bills in one package is already a lot to digest. and honestly, i'm more concerned about trump's tweet than any repub senators' concerns 
. have you seen his face when he tweeted that? priceless! 
anywayz, it's all pretty messy right now... but let's just say i think we're gonna get this bill passed somehow, probably with some major concessions from reps and dems alike 
- can we just avoid a shutdown already?! 
i mean i get that politicians need time to debate and stuff but come on folks let's not make it harder than it needs to be. 
... it seems like they're playing both sides, you know? The public is already getting frustrated with the whole thing, and it's only gonna get worse if we don't see some concrete changes. I'm keeping an eye on this situation, but my gut feeling is that it's just gonna be a messy, drawn-out process... 
another shutdown looms, is it really that hard to come to an agreement? 
meanwhile, americans are stuck in the middle, wondering what the next few days will bring... 
. I get that both parties are trying to find common ground, but come on, can't we just agree on something already?! The fact that there's still so much uncertainty and tension between Democrats and Republicans is giving me anxiety 
.
It's like they're taking away our right to due process. I mean, if lawmakers are going to sue over it, then shouldn't we have some say in how our data is being used?! The thought of all those senators getting together and deciding that one person gets to control what happens to another person's metadata is just too much for me 
.
The fact that some of their own senators are speaking out against certain provisions is like, what took them so long?! It's like they're too scared to take a stand.
. The fragile agreement feels like it's all going to come crashing down around us any minute. Can we please just get this done already?!
. speaker mike johnson sounds like a total buzzkill re convening the house on monday lol 
. And the fact that they're even considering passing this deal without making sure everything is ironed out is just plain concerning 
... but what's at stake here? is it really just about avoiding a shutdown and keeping the lights on 
, or is there something more profound going on? are we as a nation willing to compromise on our values and principles to appease others 
?
. I hope Speaker Johnson knows what he's doing, but at this point, anything seems possible... or is it? 
This is getting out of hand. First, you got your democrats and republicans fighting over funding, now you got conservatives threatening to shut down DHS just because they don't like the agreement 
.
.
I feel like lawmakers are playing a game of chicken here, trying to see who blinks first. On one hand, you have the party that wants to avoid a shutdown and seems to be on board with the agreement, but then you have some senators who are still raising concerns about certain provisions, which is understandable.
. Can't we just find some middle ground here? 
. Fingers crossed it all works out... eventually 
but other reps are worried about certain provisions in the deal 
It's like we're just pawns in their game of politics.
It's like, can we really afford to go through another shutdown? Our economy is already struggling and the last thing we need is a huge hit from a government shutdown. 
We'll just have to wait and see what happens. Maybe it's for the best? 
... one less thing to worry about would be nice. And what's up with the provision that bars lawmakers from suing over their phone metadata? 
... but at the same time, it's kinda concerning how easily they're backing down on ICE reform 
... like, we've already had those fatal shootings and what do we have to show for it? A temporary fix that might just get kicked to the curb once the shutdown drama settles