President Donald Trump has predicted the possibility of another government shutdown, attributing it to the Democrats’ reluctance to vote for several bills.
Trump, during an interview with Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business’ “Mornings with Maria,” on Thursday, expressed his concerns about a potential government shutdown before the funding deadline at the end of January.
He stated that the prior shutdown had incurred high costs and that he believes the Democrats might instigate another one.
“I think we have a problem, because I think we’re going to probably end up in another Democrat shutdown,” said Trump. The president also added that the previous shutdown had cost them a lot.
House Passes FY26 Bills, Senate Next Test
On Thursday, the U.S. House passed fiscal 2026 funding for the Department of Homeland Security despite Democratic opposition over Trump’s use of masked federal agents in cities as part of his immigration crackdown.
Lawmakers also overwhelmingly approved a broad package of other appropriations bills funding areas such as defense, health, transportation, education, and housing, with the measure passing 341–88 in a bipartisan vote.
The House, last week, also passed a two-bill “minibus” package covering funding for the State Department and the Treasury Department.
By Thursday, the House passed all 12 fiscal 2026 appropriations bills, but they need to be cleared by the Senate by the January 30 deadline to avoid another shutdown. The Senate is expected to take up the measure after returning from recess next week.
Shutdown Fears Loom Amid Growth Outlook
Trump’s prediction of another potential government shutdown comes after the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, which ended after 43 days in 2025. The shutdown had halted key government functions and furloughed hundreds of thousands of federal workers, sparking a partisan debate over its cause.
Despite the talks for another shutdown, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has forecasted a 6% GDP growth for the U.S. economy by 2026, attributing it to Trump’s policies, including the construction of new factories and auto plants. However, Lutnick also warned that the previous shutdown could lead to a messy Q4, potentially impacting this growth projection.
Meanwhile, over the past weeks, Trump spoke to leading Democratic leaders such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass. ) over a “productive” call and met Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) in the White House to discuss several contentious issues.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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