Appearing on Fox News Sunday and Meet the Press, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said congressional leaders are working to resolve the current partial government shutdown and that he expects the U.S. government to reopen by Tuesday.
“We’ll get this done by Tuesday, I’m convinced,” Johnson told “Fox News Sunday” host Shannon Bream. “We do have to do it by a rule process, which will probably have to be on our own.”
The partial shutdown started over the weekend after a bipartisan funding measure signed by President Trump in November — which ended a 43-day government shutdown — expired Jan. 30.
What Did House Speaker Johnson Say on Funding Negotiations?
Johnson noted that lawmakers remain engaged in active discussions to restore government operations, signaling optimism that an agreement could be reached in the coming days.
“Remember, these are the bills that have already been passed, we’re going to do it again… The Homeland Security bill is important, and we have important negotiations. The President is leading this; it’s his play call to do it this way. He has already conceded that he wants to turn down the volume, so to speak, and make sure this is done in an appropriate way,” he said during the interview with Fox News Sunday.
“So, look, I think there’s some healthy conversations in good faith that’ll be had over the next couple of days, and I look forward to that,” he added.
The House speaker also appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday to discuss the government shutdown, Department of Homeland Security leadership and operations, and the upcoming midterm elections with host Kristen Welker.
What’s Inside the Senate’s FY 2026 Funding Package?
The Senate on Friday voted 71-29 to pass a package of five appropriations bills for fiscal year 2026.
The package would provide full-year funding for defense; financial services and general government; the State Department, national security and related programs; labor, health and human services and education; and transportation and housing.
The amended package, which stripped out the DHS funding bill to facilitate negotiations, is now headed back to the House for final approval.
“When we pass this package and when it is signed into law, on top of the previous packages, we will have funded 96 percent of all of government,” said Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine.
