House minority leader says Republicans can't rely on Democrats to pass funding bill, raising fears of longer shutdown [View all]

Source: CNN Politics

Updated Jan 31, 2026, 5:11 PM ET
PUBLISHED Jan 31, 2026, 4:36 PM ET


House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told Speaker Mike Johnson on Saturday that Democrats won’t help Republicans pass a funding bill to reopen the government if they attempt to fast-track the measure Monday, according to two sources familiar with a call between the leaders.

Jeffries’ move is a major gamble since he would be rebelling against a deal cut by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and President Donald Trump to approve funding for much of the federal government through the end of September. The deal only funds the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks to allow for long-term negotiations on federal immigration enforcement.

The Senate voted to pass the measure just hours before a Friday deadline to fund the government, but the House is not expected to return to Washington until Monday to vote on final approval. With the funding deadline passed, Washington entered a partial government shutdown.

Many Democrats say DHS shouldn’t receive the two weeks of funding — and Jeffries appears to be siding with them, raising the possibility that the shutdown could extend past Monday.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/31/politics/government-funding-bill-shutdown-fears