From the Liveblog of
Monday, February 2, 2026
US House takes up deal to restore government funding, vote expected tomorrow
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The US House of Representatives takes up legislation that would lift a partial government shutdown that started over the weekend, with a final vote expected tomorrow.
Funding for the Pentagon, the US Department of Transportation and several other agencies expired on Saturday, as a dispute over immigration enforcement complicated efforts to approve spending legislation. So far disruption has been minimal, as workers deemed “essential,” such as troops and air traffic controllers, have remained on the job.
The US government has endured 10 funding gaps of three days or fewer since 1977, most of which had little real-world effect, according to the Congressional Research Service. Unlike the last shutdown, which lasted a record 43 days in October and November of 2025, this shutdown is expected to be brief.
A deal that would restore funding and allow lawmakers to continue to negotiate immigration enforcement tactics passed the US Senate by a wide bipartisan margin on Friday, and Republican leaders in the House are laying the groundwork for a quick vote in their chamber.
Passage is not guaranteed. Republicans control the chamber by a narrow 218-213 margin, and Democrats will pick up another seat when their newest member, Christian Menefee of Texas, is sworn in.
Some House Democrats have objected to the funding deal, worked out between US President Donald Trump and their counterparts in the Senate, saying it should provide more time to negotiate new limits on the federal immigration agents carrying out Trump’s crackdown, in which US agents have killed two US citizens.
Some Republicans on the party’s right flank also may raise objections.
The Times of Israel Community.