Johnson is betting he can force DHS funding through without Democrats, and the risk is bigger than it looks

House Speaker Mike Johnson is projecting confidence that the partial government shutdown that began Saturday will be short-lived, predicting on Sunday that the House could resolve it by Tuesday. As reported by Axios, Johnson is attempting to push Department of Homeland Security funding through the House without any Democratic support, a move that carries significant political and procedural risk.

That strategy comes as Johnson navigates deep internal Republican divisions following a deadly immigration crackdown in Minnesota that upended appropriations talks and created new political exposure. Johnson has acknowledged that Republicans may need to advance the funding plan largely on their own, saying the House would likely have to pass a rule without Democratic votes, a situation reminiscent of the recent mention of shifting federal policy on unrest. He expressed confidence in that approach during a press conference on Capitol Hill, saying he believed lawmakers could finish the process by Tuesday.

The Senate briefly attempted to defuse the standoff by passing legislation that separated immigration enforcement disputes from the immediate need to keep the government open. The bill included a two-week stopgap extension for DHS funding, but House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries quickly warned that Democrats would not support the measure as written, signaling the fragile nature of the agreement.

The shutdown fight is exposing cracks on both sides

Democrats have remained firm in opposing additional DHS funding without what they describe as major reforms to the department. They are demanding increased accountability measures, including unmasking federal agents, requiring body cameras, and tightening warrant standards, even as other election news, such as a notable Texas state legislative flip. Jeffries described the Senate proposal as a “meaningful step in the right direction” but emphasized that DHS must be “dramatically reformed” before Democrats would agree to further funding.

Representative Ro Khanna said he would not support reopening the government without those changes, stating he could not vote to give more funding to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents while constitutional rights concerns persist. His comments underscored how unified Democrats have become around linking DHS funding to enforcement reforms.

Johnson’s responses to those demands have been inconsistent, adding to the tension. He initially argued that unmasking agents and mandating identification could increase danger and suggested that Tom Homan, President Trump’s point person overseeing enforcement efforts in Minnesota, would be unable to implement those requirements. Johnson later softened that stance, indicating he believed Homan would accept ending roving patrols and equipping agents with body cameras.

The broader scramble was triggered by the killing of Minnesota nurse Alex Pretti, an incident that fractured Republican consensus around the administration’s immigration enforcement approach and led to heightened scrutiny and personnel changes in the Twin Cities. Retiring Representative Michael McCaul warned that the party risks turning a traditionally strong issue into a liability, noting that while voters support removing violent criminals, they are uneasy with images of aggressive enforcement tactics involving families and children.