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House Speaker Mike Johnson gave his prediction for when the partial government shutdown will end, as he fends off Democrats who are trying to kill funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
Johnson appeared on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday and said he is hopeful that the shutdown will end “at least” by Tuesday. The Senate on Friday passed a funding bill that separates DHS funding and allots a two-week window for Congress to debate that topic specifically, while allowing the rest of the government to trundle on.
“I’m confident that we’ll do it at least by Tuesday,” Johnson said. “We have a logistical challenge of getting everyone in town and because of the conversation I had with Hakeem Jeffries, I know that we’ve got to pass a rule and probably do this mostly on our own.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has said Democrats will not support the current version of the bill because it provides stopgap funding for the DHS through the two-week window of debate.
TRUMP, SCHUMER REACH GOVERNMENT FUNDING DEAL, SACRIFICE DHS SPENDING BILL IN THE PROCESS
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., is hopeful the government shutdown will end by Tuesday. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
“What is clear is that the Department of Homeland Security needs to be dramatically reformed,” Jeffries told ABC News on Sunday, adding that the Senate bill is a “meaningful step in the right direction.”
Other Democrats were more obstinate, however, with Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., saying he refuses to “give more money to ICE agents as they’re violating our Constitutional rights.”
The rebellion from House Democrats flouted the leadership of Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who negotiated the Senate deal with the White House.
TENSIONS BOIL IN HOUSE OVER EMERGING SENATE DEAL TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries split with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Republicans first have to pass a procedural rule to bring the legislation forward. The House Rules Committee is set to consider the Senate bill on Monday.
The bill must then survive a House-wide “rule vote,” a procedural test vote that normally falls on party lines, before voting on final passage.
HOUSE CONSERVATIVES SKEPTICAL AS SENATE DEAL SACRIFICING DHS SPENDING REACHED: ‘NON-STARTER’
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The federal government has been in a partial shutdown since early Saturday morning after Congress failed to find a compromise on the yearly budget by the end of Jan. 30.
Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
