Trump Pushes GOP to End Government Shutdown

A partial US government shutdown appears to be ending after President Donald Trump intervened to convince conservative hardliners to drop their opposition to a funding deal he negotiated with Senate Democrats.

The spending package cleared a critical procedural vote in the House on Tuesday, with a final vote expected later in the day. In a key sign of shifting momentum, only one Republican voted against moving the legislation forward.

Conservative Opposition Crumbles

The breakthrough came after a small group of conservatives threatened to derail the entire process. They had demanded that a separate bill on election laws, which stood no chance of passing the Senate, be attached to the government funding measure. With a razor-thin majority, Republican leadership could only afford to lose one vote.

President Trump’s pressure proved decisive. "The president nailed it down," said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, a Republican from Oklahoma. "I'm glad we are all nails and there's one hammer."

On Monday, Trump urged House Republicans in a social media post to pass the bill "IMMEDIATELY" with "NO CHANGES." Shortly after, conservative holdouts Anna Paulina Luna of Florida and Tim Burchett of Tennessee announced they would end their blockade following a conversation with the White House.

Still, some conservatives remain opposed to the deal itself, citing spending increases and projects favored by Democrats. "I don't understand why we took the deal that we took," said Republican Representative Eric Burlison of Missouri. "There's tons of Democrat earmarks in the bill."

The Standoff Over Homeland Security

The shutdown fight was triggered last month after Alex Pretti, a US citizen, was killed during a confrontation with Border Patrol officers in Minneapolis. In response, Democrats refused to approve full-year funding for the Department of Homeland Security without new restrictions on immigration enforcement.

The current deal, which passed the Senate before the shutdown began Saturday at 12:01 am, acts as a temporary patch. It funds the Homeland Security Department through February 13, allowing more time for negotiations on enforcement policies. All other shuttered government departments would be funded through the end of the fiscal year on September 30.

Democrats are seeking several key changes to immigration enforcement, including demands that officers:

• Wear body cameras

• Forgo wearing masks

• Obtain warrants before entering private homes

• Cease conducting immigration sweeps

Final Passage Still Faces Hurdles

While the bill is likely to pass, its success is not guaranteed. Republican leaders will need support from moderate Democrats to offset the remaining conservative opposition.

Most Democrats are expected to vote against the measure because it fails to immediately implement the immigration enforcement reforms they have called for. However, some have signaled they may support it, including Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee. The position of House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries remains unannounced.

California Democrat Jimmy Gomez noted that while "a few" Democrats might vote for the bill, many remain passionately opposed. Angie Craig, a Minnesota Democrat running for a Senate seat, stated her firm opposition: "Unless they're gonna start to bring down the surge in Minnesota for real, I'm not voting for anything."

Shutdown's Real-World Consequences Mount

As the political maneuvering continues, the shutdown's effects are beginning to spread. The Labor Department announced on Monday that its widely-followed jobs report, scheduled for Friday, will be delayed. The tax filing season, which recently began, could also face disruptions.

The shutdown has furloughed non-essential federal workers and closed several key government departments, including:

• Defense

• State

• Treasury

• Health and Human Services

• Housing and Urban Development

• Labor

• Education

Smaller agencies like the Small Business Administration and the Securities and Exchange Commission are also affected.