Trump Says White House Closing In on Deal With Democrats to Avert Shutdown

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump said on Jan. 29 that the White House is getting closer to a deal with Senate Democrats to avert a government shutdown.

“Hopefully, we won’t have a shutdown,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House. “We’re working on that right now. I think we’re getting close with the Democrats.

“We’ll work in a very bipartisan way, I believe, not to have a shutdown. We don’t want a shutdown.”

Congress faces a Jan. 30 funding deadline and remains divided on whether, and how, to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

On Jan. 29, the Senate failed to advance a spending package after Democrats opposed funding for DHS. The impasse followed increased scrutiny and protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after two fatal shootings by federal agents in Minnesota.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Jan. 22 passed a nearly $1.2 trillion funding package that combined several appropriations bills, including one for DHS.

Senate Democrats have opposed the package unless DHS and ICE funding comes with additional limits and oversight in response to the recent fatal incidents.

The procedural vote on the six-bill funding package fell short of the 60-vote threshold required to advance most legislation in the Senate. The final tally was 45–55. Seven Republicans joined nearly all Democrats in voting no; Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) was the lone Democrat to vote for advancing the package.

Democrats argued that DHS funding should be considered separately. However, splitting the bills would require sending them back to the House, which is in recess until next week.

If no agreement is reached by the deadline, several federal agencies, including the departments of Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, will face a shutdown. In 2025, the government shut down for 43 days, the longest shutdown in U.S. history.

On Jan. 28, Senate Democrats, led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), outlined three demands related to DHS and ICE operations.

Schumer said the first demand is to end “roving patrols” of ICE agents in U.S. cities, implement stricter warrant requirements, and improve coordination between federal, state, and local law enforcement.

The second demand calls for greater accountability for ICE agents.

“Federal agents should be held to the same use-of-force policies that apply to state and local law enforcement and be held accountable when they violate those rules,” Schumer said.

The third demand states that ICE and other immigration agents must not wear masks, must use body cameras, and must carry state-issued identification at all times.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said the entire package should be passed.

“We need to fund the government,” he told reporters on Jan. 28. “We have a bill sitting in the Senate today that does that, that if we pick it up and pass it and put it on the president’s desk all 12 appropriations bills will have been done this year.”

However, Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) said he supports splitting DHS funding from the rest of the package, telling reporters that it is “the only way” to avoid a shutdown.

Jackson Richman and Nathan Worcester contributed to this report.