Democrats, White House strike spending deal that would avert government shutdown

Democrats and the White House agree on a spending deal to prevent a government shutdown and fund Homeland Security temporarily.

Democrats and the White House have struck a deal to avert a partial government shutdown and temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security as they negotiate new restrictions for U.S. President Donald Trump’s surge of immigration enforcement.

As the country reels from the deaths of two protesters at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis, the two sides have agreed to separate homeland security funding from the rest of the legislation and fund DHS for two weeks while they debate Democratic demands for curbs on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. The potential deal comes after Democrats voted to block legislation to fund DHS on Thursday (January 29, 2026).

Mr. Trump said in a social media post that “Republicans and Democrats have come together to get the vast majority of the government funded until September”, while extending current funding for Homeland Security. He encouraged members of both parties to cast a “much-needed Bipartisan YES’ vote.”

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told The Associated Press on Thursday (January 29, 2026) that he had been “vehemently opposed” to breaking up the funding package, but “if it is broken up, we will have to move it as quickly as possible. We can't have the government shut down.”

Democrats have requested a short extension—two weeks or less—and say they are prepared to block the wide-ranging spending bill if their demands aren’t met, denying Republicans the votes they need to pass it and potentially triggering a shutdown.

Republicans were pushing for a longer extension of the Homeland Security funding, but the two sides were “getting closer”, said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.