Senate Races Jet Fumes to Avoid Government Shutdown in One Week Sprint
KEY POINTS
- •Senator Chris Murphy said funding Homeland Security without ICE reforms won’t get many Democratic votes after returning January 26.
- •Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer dismissed the idea of another shutdown after last fall’s record-breaking one.
- •Congress has passed about half the appropriations bills, with a stopgap likely needed to avoid a partial government shutdown.
As the Senate staggers back from their well-deserved recess on January 26, 2026, they're sprinting through a one-week deadline to dodge a partial government shutdown. Democrats, led by Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, insist that funding Homeland Security without ICE reforms is as appealing as a root canal. At least six or seven Democrats face the daunting task of crossing the aisle, assuring bipartisan drama. Senate leaders John Thune and Chuck Schumer both vocally dismissed any repeat of last fall's legendary shutdown — a shutdown that literally broke records and now haunts their speeches. Congress has heroically cleared just over half of their appropriations bills, including essentials like NASA and the EPA, while a stopgap measure looms as the likely lifesaver. Murphy lamented that such a stopgap ‘doesn't fix any of the problems either,’ neatly summing up the whole circus — no real solutions, just juggling until the next crisis. Meanwhile, Schumer remains confident that a shutdown is ‘off the table,’ unless you consider partial government shutdowns a bargain weekend getaway.
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Congress gives us a thrilling race against time: can they *please* avoid the shutdown sequel? Spoiler: they probably won’t fix… anything.
The Senate’s one-week sprint to fix DHS funding is like trying to patch a sinking boat with duct tape and good vibes.
At least six Democrats must cross the aisle to save the day. Sounds like a bad rom-com pilot episode.
Source: Axios | Published: 1/16/2026 | Author: Stephen Neukam
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