Tuberville Concerned Over Possible 2nd Shutdown
A second federal government shutdown is looming as congress faces a Friday deadline. Representatives from both parties had been working on a funding agreement but the fatal shooting by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents of a second protestor in Minneapolis last week may have doomed any progress.
The House last week passed and sent to the Senate a bipartisan FY 2026 spending package that would largely sustain, and in several areas modestly increase, federal support for education and research. The House is out of session this week, but the Senate is scheduled to return today, with votes set for Tuesday. But key Democrats, including Chuck Schumer, Catherine Cortez Masto, and Patty Murray are demanding changes to ICE operations before backing the bill. Any changes would send the spending plan back to the House and ensure at least a partial shutdown.
What's the Blockage?
At issue is funding for ICE, which would receive some $10 billion of the $64.4 billion earmarked for its parent, the Department of Homeland Security.
Republicans vow to not remove the funding that covers money for President Trump’s immigration crackdown, setting up a potential budget stalemate.
The Alabama Congressional Delegation's viewpoint is split down party lines as it was last year.
Tuberville Predicted More Shutdowns
Following the passage of a funding deal in November, Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville warned that "We are going to have to do this all over again at the end of January". He also predicted Senate Democrats could shut down the government "four or five more times" if Republicans do not eliminate the filibuster.
At issue is the legislative standoff over funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and, for many, the extension of Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits.
“I think we have a problem, because I think we’re going to probably end up in another Democrat shutdown,” President Trump said in an interview with Fox Business. Referring to the most recent shutdown that began last October, he added: “The shutdown cost us a lot, and I think they’ll probably do it again, that’s my feeling. We’ll see what happens.”
Alabama's Junior Republican Sen. Katie Britt played a critical role in negotiating a path forward to reopening the government last year. At that time she called the shutdown "political theatre."
Another Shutdown Would Deal More Misery
During last year's shutdown, The White House estimates the State of Alabama lost as much as $169 million each week and 736,000 enrolees in SNAP benefits impacted.
The current situation remains fluid. Congress has already passed six of the 12 annual funding bills, meaning only a subset of federal agencies will shut down if it fails to act by Friday.
The most recent shutdown began Oct. 1, 2025, and lasted 43 days. It was the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
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