Senate shutdown deal stalls over Graham objection

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Hill

01/29/26 11:44 PM ET


The Senate's race to avert a shutdown hit the skids late Thursday night as Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) placed a hold on the government funding package, forcing leaders to punt the vote.

Senators had been hoping to vote on the so-called minibus after leaders struck a deal earlier in the day and President Trump endorsed it. Under the agreement, the Senate was set to vote on a package of five full-year funding bills and a stopgap measure funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for two weeks.

But as lawmakers awaited word on the vote late Thursday, a fired-up Graham emerged from Senate Majority Leader John Thune's (R-S.D.) office and declared, "We're not voting tonight."

Graham pointed to language in the bill that would repeal a provision allowing senators to sue if their phone records were collected as part of former special counsel Jack Smith's probe. "What senator wouldn't want notification that they're looking at your phone?" he said. "I fixed the problem that people had. I'm not going to ignore what happened. If you were abused, you think you were abused, your phone records were illegally seized -- you should have your day in court," Graham said. "Every senator should want to make sure this never happens again."

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5714316-senate-government-funding-shutdown/

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What the IDIOT media continues to gloss over is that the House passed a package of 6 appropriations bills BUNDLED as a "Minibus". The MINUTE the Senate changes that, it would HAVE to go back TO THE HOUSE, which is in recess until Monday.

It just CHAPS my fucking hide.

HERE is the current Continuing Resolution - H.R.5371 - Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026

Here is what is says -

(snip)

Public Law No: 119-37 (11/12/2025)

Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026

This act ends the government shutdown that began on October 1, 2025, by providing FY2026 continuing appropriations for most federal agencies through January 30, 2026, and providing appropriations through the end of FY2026 for agriculture, military construction and veterans affairs, and legislative branch programs. It also extends various expiring programs and authorities.

(snip)

REPEAT-

through January 30, 2026

NOT "January 31, 2026", NOT "February 1, 2026", NOT "February 2, 2026". IT EXPIRES TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT.

Meaning if both the Senate and House don't pass the changed bill and 45 doesn't sign by midnight, there is a LAPSE (for any Departments/Agencies that were still not funded outside of the current C.R.).

There is a Congressional "tool" where they can "Stop the Clock" over a weekend with the assumption that the votes are imminent and they just need additional time to engross the bill. But I don't even think they are that far along.

[lonely bird]

1. Just a note

Congress has plenty of tools.

The first is Mike Johnson.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. ...

[Javaman]

3. graham playing political theater.

he will fold soon enough after he has played is part of the "concern" republican.

[BumRushDaShow]

4. Regardless of his sideshow

If for some odd reason, this thing passes the Senate but the House doesn't also pass what would be a revised bill from what they originally sent the Senate (and they have been in recess all this week)... AND 45 doesn't get it signed by midnight tonight (whether by AUTO-PEN or not), there will be a LAPSE (shutdown), unless they do the "Stop the Clock" thing.

[durablend]

8. And after his friend gets him on the phone

"Wouldn't want anything to happen to you"

[mdbl]

15. She is quite the drama queen.

[GiqueCee]

5. Imagine Graham's dismay...

... when he gets his smarmy ass handed to him on November 3rd. I hope someone is going to run against him.

[SCantiGOP]

6. He has primary and general election opposition

and he will win with his usual 55-45 margin.
Trust me, I’ve worked against him in too many past elections. The corpse of Charles Manson would win in S.C. if he had the R after his name.

[GiqueCee]

7. The corpse of Charles Manson...

... EEEUUUW! That is a jarring image. But I'm sure you're right.

[Figarosmom]

9. Wasnt he part of the group

That put together and voted for tbe Patriot Act? That's where it became the rule that those whom are being investigated don't get told tbey are being investigated wasn't it? The secret warrants.

[mpcamb]

10. Was'nt Lindsay part of the group who got indicted in Geogia's vote fraud along with Michael Flynn?

[BumRushDaShow]

11. I don't think he was indicted but they had to force him to go down to testify one of the grand jurys

for D.A. Fani Willis' RICO election subversion case.

[Deminpenn]

12. The House members were really PO'd

about the provision in the current CR specific to the several senators and their phone meta data.

They specifically stripped that language/provision out of the CR to avert another govt shutdown.

[BumRushDaShow]

14. Yup

And now you are going to have a lot of PO'd teabaggers and House "Freedom Caucus" folks, who have their own demands, and don't want the DHS appropriation stripped off as a standalone.

Haven't heard a peep outta Mikie but he's gonna have to roll up his sleeves and hope, with all the winter storms going on now and into the weekend, he can get his GOP members back in time.

[Deminpenn]

16. Problem for the R kooky caucus is that Trump endorsed removing DHS funding

from the 6 bill "minibus", making it a 5 bill "minibus".

In the end, they won't go against their dear leader and risk the ultimate sin of making him look bad/weak.

[BumRushDaShow]

17. That might be the ultimate result

but they still have their MAGat constituents to appeal to who don't want ANY concessions to "the libs".

So it could take time - particularly if they have to go through their "regular process" versus the "fast-track", with plenty of podium pounding and foot stomping before they cave.

And that is especially if Democrats can keep the 70 (D)s needed to agree to a "fast-track", from crossing over to support "fast track", which would also require (R)s to get all 220 of their members to vote for it too (they have a couple-vote wiggle room normally).

[MoseShrute]

13. Epstein

Pretty sure I read the Linseed was mentioned in the Epstein files. Maybe that needs to surface again.