Analyzing the bill that ended a multi-day partial shutdown
By Easton Martin | February 3, 2025
The House of Representatives voted 217-214 on Tuesday to pass a sweeping $1.2 trillion spending package, ending a four-day partial government shutdown. President Trump signed the legislation late Tuesday afternoon.
While the bill secures full-year funding for the vast majority of federal agencies, it sets the stage for a volatile showdown over immigration policy in less than two weeks.
The legislation provides full fiscal year 2026 funding through September 30 for major departments including Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development. This effectively locks in budgets for about 75 percent of the federal government. Key provisions include a 3.8 percent pay raise for military personnel and increased investments in medical research at the National Institutes of Health.
However, the Department of Homeland Security remains the primary sticking point. The package includes only a short-term continuing resolution for DHS that expires on February 13. This temporary measure was necessary to break a legislative impasse after Senate Democrats demanded strict new oversight protocols for Immigration and Customs Enforcement following a controversial enforcement incident in Minneapolis.
Twenty-one Republicans defied Speaker Mike Johnson to vote against the bill, citing excessive spending, while an equal number of Democrats crossed party lines to support it. Congress now faces a ten-day sprint to negotiate significant policy changes for ICE or risk another partial shutdown affecting border security and transportation safety.
