After a much-anticipated House vote about where the remainder of spending bills would land, on Tuesday, Feb. 5, President Trump signed into law a five-bill minibus and legislation to end the partial government shutdown. The package funds the Department of Homeland Security for the next ten days, with a new deadline set for the agency’s funding to expire on Feb. 13. The bill also includes funding until Sept. 30 for the departments of Energy, Defense, Treasury, State, Labor, Transportation, Health and Human Services, Education and funding to the judicial branch as well as independent agencies.
Since the package the House passed in their bipartisan 217-214 vote only secures DHS funding through next week, there is certainly unfinished business to wrap up. Negotiations over the president’s immigration enforcement agenda are still underway and have taken on new urgency, threatening another potential funding lapse for DHS that also includes TSA, FEMA and other crucial agencies.
Echoing NLC’s call for clearer communication, responsible federal action and respect for local roles, lawmakers face a Feb. 13 deadline to reach a collaborative solution. Without an agreement that strengthens coordination and ensures stability for local governments, DHS could soon confront another short-term funding patch or even a lapse in funding.
How NLC is Advocating for Cities, Towns and Villages
While the government is operating at full capacity, NLC continues to advance its advocacy on behalf of cities, towns and villages. We are actively monitoring several critical pieces of legislation that directly impact municipalities, including the Housing for the 21st Century Act, the Streamlining Federal Grants Act and transportation and water infrastructure reauthorizations. In addition to legislative tracking, we regularly position local leaders front and center in national conversations. Earlier this week, two NLC member mayors traveled to Washington, D.C. where they joined a coalition group to participate in a press conference on the importance of rail safety, highlighting the critical role local governments play in protecting communities.
NLC operates on a biannual agenda aligned with the Congressional cycle. This federal action agenda guides our local advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill and with the Administration to ensure we are strategic and timely in response to emerging federal priorities. We recommend all local leaders and staff peruse our federal action agenda to learn about the issues that most affect your community.
See You at CCC!
Join us at our Congressional City Conference and Hill Day. This year’s conference will be March 16-18, 2026, in Washington, D.C. Meet with members of Congress and advocate for your community’s priorities.
About the Author
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Executive Actions Fact Sheet: Guaranteeing the States Protection Against Invasion
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NLC Statement in Response to Ongoing Tension between Local Governments and ICE
