Reporters follow U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R.S.D.) as he heads to the Senate chamber at the U.S. Capitol on January 27, 2026, in Washington.
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As the House prepares to begin voting on a bill to fully fund a group of federal agencies through the remainder of the fiscal year, Republican senators appear to be paving the way to preventing a partial government shutdown.
The Senate is scheduled to vote on six funding bills as early as Thursday morning. If Congress does not pass all the bills, most of the federal government will shut down at 12:01 ET on Friday.
The bill would provide funding to the Department of Homeland Security as well as several other agencies, including the Treasury Department and the Department of Defense. The plan was at one point certain to pass the Senate and avoid a shutdown, but the killing of U.S. citizen Alex Preti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis on Saturday derailed the plan.
Democrats have called for the DHS portion of the bill to be removed from the package and considered separately to change how DHS operates, but Republicans have so far resisted. Some Senate Republicans on Wednesday began embracing the idea of separating DHS as the shutdown looms, just months after a record 43-day shutdown last year.
The bill would need 60 votes to break the Senate filibuster for passage. Republicans only hold 53 seats in the Senate, so Democrats could block it if they hold up a vote.
“Instead of killing the entire policy, I say let’s pass what we can,” Sen. John Kennedy (R-Louisiana) said in an interview with reporters at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.
“I think all the bills except Homeland Security will pass, so we can sit down and talk about Homeland Security,” said Kennedy, who serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee.
When asked how many of his Republican colleagues supported such a move, President Kennedy replied, “Many.”
In fact, many Republicans said Wednesday that separating DHS is their preferred option, even though they want the entire bill to pass the Senate.
“We’ll see what happens when the vote is taken,” said Sen. John Hoeven (D), another member of the Appropriations Committee. “[But]if Democrats block it,[Senate Minority Leader Chuck]Schumer has already said he’s willing to move five people, and I certainly have an open mind about that.”
Sen. Thom Tillis, RN.C., told CNBC that if Democrats are “ok with five of the six bills,” they should “find a way to make them happen.”
Senate Minority Leader John Thune, a Democrat, said at a press conference Wednesday that such proposals are “hypothetical” for now and “reserve their discretion.”
“As I’ve said, I think the best path forward is to keep the packaging the way it is,” Thun said. “If there’s something that the Democratic Party wants and the administration can agree to, then let’s do it.”
Democrats have warned that individual negotiations with the administration will not be enough to allay concerns. President Donald Trump has reversed course in recent days in the aftermath of the Preti shooting in Minnesota, recently saying he would ease immigration enforcement in the state.
“This should be in the bill,” said Maine Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats. “I don’t think you can compromise on promises.” King opposed the caucuses during the last government shutdown and repeatedly voted in favor of reopening the government.
“I cannot in good conscience vote for a DHS budget under these circumstances,” King said, calling for the DHS portion to be separated so the rest of the bill could pass. DHS conducts immigration enforcement operations in Maine.
Sen. Angus King, I-Main, arrives at Parliament House to vote on Thursday, September 28, 2023.
Bill Clark | CQ-Roll Call Inc. | Getty Images
Schumer, D-N.Y., listed Democrats’ demands at a news conference Wednesday.
He said Democrats want a DHS funding package that includes new guardrails for federal immigration enforcement. These guardrails include arrest warrant requirements, a ban on federal employees wearing masks, mandatory body cameras, and a uniform code of conduct for federal employees.
“Democrats are poised to pass five bipartisan bills in the Senate today, but the DHS bill requires serious work,” Schumer said. “Leader Thune is now set to begin working with Democrats to separate the DHS bill and rein in ICE.”
Republicans appear to be moving forward with plans to vote on all six bills.
“We’re going to vote on this tomorrow,” said Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.). “Something could change within 24 hours, but our plan is to vote on six bills.”
If that vote fails and Senate Republicans decide to split the DHS portion, any changes to the bill would likely require unanimous consent on the Senate floor, given the short deadline. Any single senator could oppose such a move, extending the timeline and further increasing the risk of a shutdown.
Asked by CNBC if he opposed removing the DHS bill from the package, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) said, “I have concerns, but we need to look at it.”
Republicans also point out that a DHS shutdown would mean a loss of funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency during a winter snap that brought severe temperatures, ice and snow to much of the country. King suggested that a short-term, lasting solution could help keep FEMA and other agencies afloat.
Any changes the Senate makes to the package would also require reapproval from the House. The House is in recess and is away from Washington, with plans to return next week after the shutdown deadline.
“If the bill changes significantly from what has already been passed in the House of Representatives, we have another steep hill to climb,” Thun said.
DHS will likely be able to continue operating its immigration authorities even if it goes into a shutdown. Republicans gave the agency hundreds of billions of dollars in additional spending as part of the tax and spending package they passed last year.
