Trump backs House push to pass funding deal to avert another shutdown
Amid mounting uncertainty in Washington, US president signals he wants to avert a repeat of last summer's record 43-day shutdown.
US President Donald Trump has said he is working with House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson to get a funding deal passed through the House and avoid another government shutdown.
Trump’s comments come as a partial US government shutdown has entered its third day, with uncertainty continuing over when Congress will resolve the 2026 budget deadlock.
Despite the impasse, Johnson has expressed confidence that lawmakers are close to an agreement.
"We'll get all this done by Tuesday; I'm convinced," Johnson said, describing a planned House vote on a Senate-backed deal to reopen the government as a "formality".
The House speaker, however, holds a razor-thin Republican majority and cannot afford to lose more than one vote from his party.
His margin narrowed further on Monday following the arrival of a Democrat elected in a Texas special election.
Stopgap measure
The funding lapse followed a breakdown in negotiations triggered by Democratic anger over the killing of two protesters in Minneapolis by federal immigration agents, which disrupted talks over new funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
Late on Friday, the Senate passed a package clearing five outstanding funding bills to cover most federal agencies through September, alongside a two-week stopgap measure to keep DHS operating while negotiations continue over immigration enforcement policy.
Several hardline Republicans have refused to reopen talks on DHS funding and are threatening to vote against the Senate-backed package.
"Democrats are now playing politics," Republican lawmaker Chip Roy said, accusing them of taking DHS funding "hostage".
Republican defections could force Johnson to rely on Democratic votes to advance the bill.
"We need good faith on both sides," he said.
If the House approves the Senate deal, lawmakers will have two weeks to negotiate a full-year DHS funding bill.
Both parties have acknowledged the talks will be contentious, with Democrats seeking limits on immigration enforcement and conservatives pushing for broader reforms.
Trump has publicly endorsed the Senate deal and urged both parties to support it, signalling his desire to avoid another prolonged shutdown during his second term.