US President Donald Trump has urged lawmakers to pass a Senate-approved spending package without amendments, warning that any delay risks prolonging a damaging government shutdown that has already entered its third day.
In a message posted on his Truth Social platform on Monday, Trump called on both Republicans and Democrats in the House of Representatives to swiftly approve the legislation and send it to his desk. He emphasised the urgency of adopting the bill “without delay” and warned against reopening negotiations during a delicate time.
The partial shutdown began after talks between the two parties collapsed last week, following Democratic anger over the fatal shooting of two protesters in Minneapolis during an operation involving federal immigration agents. The incident derailed negotiations over funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a central sticking point in the budget talks.
Late on Friday, the Senate moved to break the impasse by passing a package that clears funding for most federal agencies through the end of September. The deal also included a temporary two-week extension to keep DHS operating, giving lawmakers additional time to negotiate a longer-term agreement on immigration enforcement policy.
However, the compromise has met resistance in the Republican-controlled House. Several conservative lawmakers have publicly criticised the Senate deal and signalled they may oppose it when it comes up for a vote, expected on Tuesday.
In his post, Trump acknowledged that concerns had been raised about the legislation but said those issues should be addressed later. “There can be no changes at this time,” he wrote, warning that another prolonged shutdown would be “pointless and destructive”. He referred to last summer’s 43-day stoppage, the longest in US history, as a scenario he was determined to avoid.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has sought to project confidence, telling Fox News that he believed lawmakers would reach an agreement by Tuesday. Yet his position remains precarious. Republicans hold only a slim majority in the chamber, meaning Johnson can afford to lose no more than one vote from his own party.
That margin narrowed further on Monday with the swearing-in of a Democrat who won a special election in Texas, increasing the likelihood that Republican leaders may need Democratic support to advance the funding bill.
If the House approves the Senate package, lawmakers will then face a tight two-week deadline to agree on a full-year budget for DHS. Both parties concede those negotiations are likely to be contentious.
Democrats are pressing for stricter limits on immigration enforcement practices, particularly the use of heavily armed, masked agents who, they argue, have conducted raids without proper identification or warrants. Conservatives, meanwhile, are pushing for tougher enforcement measures and broader policy changes.
Government shutdowns suspend funding for non-essential federal operations, disrupting public services and forcing hundreds of thousands of federal employees to be furloughed or required to work without pay. As the standoff continues, pressure is mounting on lawmakers to bring the shutdown to an end and avert further economic and political fallout.
