Blue Press Journal (DC) – As the federal government remains partially shuttered, House Democrats have made it clear they will not lend their support to Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) latest attempt to push through a funding package using an expedited process. According to The Hill and Punchbowl News, the decision effectively derails Johnson’s plan to end the shutdown quickly, underscoring the deep dysfunction within the Republican-controlled House.
Johnson’s strategy hinged on suspending House rules—a move requiring a two-thirds majority, and therefore significant Democratic backing. With Democrats unified in opposition, the GOP now faces the far more arduous task of passing the $1.2 trillion package through the standard procedure, where even a single Republican defection could prove fatal. The Associated Press notes that Johnson’s razor-thin majority has repeatedly hindered his ability to govern effectively, a problem that has plagued his predecessors in recent years.
The Senate already approved the bipartisan funding measure late Friday, which includes five key appropriations bills and a temporary extension for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). However, the DHS portion has been particularly contentious, largely due to Republican insistence on maintaining an additional $10 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Democrats, as reported by Reuters, have demanded oversight reforms—such as stricter warrant requirements and bans on masked federal agents—to curb what they describe as systemic abuses within immigration enforcement.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) signaled cautious optimism, telling NBC News that Democrats are open to negotiation if there’s a “real path toward meaningful reform at DHS.” Meanwhile, conservative hardliners like Rep. Chip Roy (R-Tex.) have accused Democrats of “playing politics,” despite the GOP’s own inability to unify around a coherent funding strategy.
Ultimately, this standoff highlights a familiar pattern under Republican leadership: ideological infighting and legislative paralysis.
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