US Senate Approves Stopgap Funding Bill as Shutdown Looms

The US Senate on Friday passed a government funding package just hours before a midnight deadline that could trigger a partial federal government shutdown.

Lawmakers approved the measure in a 71–29 vote, advancing a bill that includes five long-term appropriations measures while extending funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for two weeks to allow further negotiations on immigration enforcement.

The legislation now heads to the House of Representatives, which is not expected to reconvene until Monday. As a result, federal funding is still set to expire at midnight, raising the prospect of a brief shutdown.

If the House approves the bill early next week, any disruption to government operations is expected to be minimal. There is little appetite in Washington for another prolonged shutdown, following a 43-day stoppage late last year.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats would not support long-term DHS funding unless measures are introduced to rein in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). His remarks followed the fatal shooting of American citizen Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minnesota — the second such incident involving immigration enforcement officers this month.

Schumer said Democrats would insist on “strong, common-sense legislation that reins in ICE” before backing extended DHS funding. “If our colleagues are not willing to enact real change, they should not expect Democratic votes,” he said.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Democrats would review the Senate-passed legislation before deciding their next steps. In a statement, he called on the Trump administration to present a clear plan to reform ICE and other DHS agencies, which he said have become “lawless and heavy-handed.”

Jeffries added that it would be in the country’s best interest for reforms to be addressed before Congress reconvenes and the bill is brought to the House floor next week.