JD Vance is set to meet with Senate Republicans on Tuesday for lunch, with the White House emphasizing tariffs as the primary discussion point. However, the meeting is expected to touch on the ongoing government shutdown, which has now entered its fifth week. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has indicated that the conversation will include an evaluation of the government funding situation. GOP senators are divided, with some advocating for addressing immediate issues and others seeking to use the shutdown to pressure Democrats. A range of potential partial funding measures has been proposed, but a consensus is yet to be reached. As President Trump is currently overseas, the GOP faces a critical decision on how to navigate the impasse.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has expressed that he fully expects to hear an assessment of the current status of government funding from Vance, along with other potential topics. GOP senators are divided on whether to take action to alleviate certain pain points or allow conditions to worsen so Democrats will feel maximum pressure to pass a House-approved stopgap measure. GOP leaders will hear out different factions within the conference during Tuesday’s lunch before deciding whether to allow votes on so-called “rifle-shot” bills that would enable funding to flow to specific government programs while the shutdown affects operations elsewhere.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has legislation that would cover air traffic controllers and TSA agents if funding lapses, while Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has a measure that would prevent millions from losing food aid as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) runs out of money on Saturday. However, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) indicated that there is limited appetite among Republicans to hold standalone votes on piecual bills, citing a prevailing desire within the GOP to punish Democrats for their shutdown stance. Another potential topic on Tuesday will be GOP appropriators’ desire to discuss advancing full-year government funding bills once the shutdown ends.
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats are meeting in a closed-door session for their first caucus-wide gathering since the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest federal employee union, urged the party to pass a “clean” continuing resolution. Democratic leaders have not immediately signaled plans to surrender, with many Democrats insisting they will hold firm until Republicans come to the table to negotiate a bipartisan compromise to reopen the government. The AFGE’s statement has pushed Democrats into a defensive position for the first time since the shutdown began, while exposing major internal fault lines within the party.
Additionally, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has mentioned the importance of a redistricting effort in Illinois to counter GOP moves to redraw maps in Texas, North Carolina, and Missouri. This comes as Democrats are intensifying their redistricting efforts in Illinois and other states like Virginia and New York, as Trump aims to secure up to 19 new GOP seats for the 2026 election cycle. However, Democrats’ plans in Illinois may face pushback from Black leaders.