The Senate’s compromise plan to end the partial government shutdown cleared a major hurdle Monday night, proving once again that when President Trump steps in, even Republican squabbles suddenly remember how to behave. The House Rules Committee advanced the deal with minimal drama, setting the stage for a full House vote on Tuesday. Yes, there’s still a procedural “rule vote” standing in the way — because Washington loves paperwork more than results — but the path forward is finally visible.
The shutdown, now in its third day, affects about 78% of the federal government after Congress failed to send its remaining spending bills to President Trump by Jan. 30. Lawmakers had passed bipartisan funding bills to keep the government running through Sept. 30, 2026, but Democrats revolted in protest of Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis. Senate Democrats later abandoned the deal as well, citing objections to funding for the Department of Homeland Security after federal agents shot and killed a second U.S. citizen during anti-ICE demonstrations.
President Trump responded decisively, removing Customs and Border Protection agents from Minneapolis and replacing senior officials overseeing the crackdown. Democrats, however, are still demanding more restrictions, including judicial warrants to further limit agents in the city. Because apparently enforcing the law now requires a permission slip.
The compromise deal would fund several departments — including War, Health and Human Services, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, and Education — while extending current DHS funding for just two weeks. That short extension is meant to give lawmakers time for additional bipartisan negotiations. The Senate passed the plan Friday, but House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries made it clear he won’t be offering Democratic support, creating a rare and very public split with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who helped negotiate the deal with Trump’s White House.
That division leaves House Republicans largely responsible for getting the shutdown ended. Still, Trump stepped in to shut down another brewing rebellion among conservatives. Some House Republicans threatened to vote against the procedural rule unless the SAVE America Act — which requires proof of citizenship for voter registration — was included. Trump posted on Truth Social demanding “NO CHANGES” to the deal, putting the brakes on that push.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna and Rep. Tim Burchett changed their positions after receiving assurances that Senate Majority Leader John Thune would force a vote on the SAVE America Act. Luna confirmed they would support the rule vote, saying the strategy could bring voter ID legislation to the Senate floor. Translation: Trump said hold the line, and the line held.
Speaker Mike Johnson can afford to lose only one GOP vote for the rule to pass, so every decision counts. Meanwhile, nearly 14,000 air traffic controllers are working without pay, members of the military could soon miss paychecks, and the CDC’s ability to communicate public health updates is limited. These are real consequences — and they highlight exactly why leadership matters.
President Trump has made his position clear: no deal-shredding amendments, no chaos for chaos’ sake, and no surrender on immigration enforcement. With Republicans regrouping and Democrats divided, the momentum is shifting toward resolution. And once again, Trump’s steady hand is guiding the process forward, proving that even in gridlock, leadership still works when someone actually leads.
