Louisiana House Speaker Mike Johnson urged House Republicans to unite behind President Donald Trump in a member-only call after the commander-in-chief struck a deal with Senate Democrats to avert a prolonged government shutdown, Fox News Digital learned late Friday.
The House Republican leader admitted he was “frustrated” with the results but praised Trump’s deal-making skills and called on lawmakers to support the president’s decisions, sources told Fox News Digital.
The Senate on Friday passed a revised government funding agreement that will determine the federal budget for the fiscal year that ends on September 30, except for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Democrats abandoned a bipartisan plan to fully fund the federal government after calling for tougher regulations on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) than the package originally passed by the House of Representatives.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson (L), R-Louisiana, shakes hands with President Donald Trump during the Invest in America roundtable in the State Dining Room of the White House on June 9, 2025 in Washington.
(Getty Images)
Sources said Johnson told House Republicans that he went to the White House on Wednesday to lay out his argument for sticking with the original plan and warned that “opening a Pandora’s box of changes to this plan could be a dangerous prospect.”
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Still, Trump struck a deal with Senate Democrats.
Fox News Digital has learned that Johnson acknowledged, “The president has made a decision and we have to support him.”
The original bipartisan DHS bill included protections for ICE such as mandatory body cameras and public engagement and de-escalation training. But the second fatal shooting of an American citizen by federal law enforcement during demonstrations in Minneapolis against Trump’s crackdown on immigration has led to higher demands from Democrats.
Senate Republican holdouts refuse to concede as shutdown talks continue
The new deal with Democrats would only extend current funding levels for the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks to provide funding for other key agencies within the department’s purview while new bipartisan immigration enforcement negotiations proceed.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) hold a joint news conference at the U.S. Capitol on January 8, 2026.
Several Republican lawmakers have publicly and privately expressed concerns about the deal, arguing it could give Democrats greater ability to constrain the government.
Fox News Digital has learned that a House Republican expressed such concerns during a members-only conference call on Friday. According to sources, Johnson agreed he was “frustrated… but I have to take my hat off to the president. He knows the art of the deal.”
Senate Republicans weigh Democratic demands to split Homeland Security bill, move to short-term extension to avert shutdown
Johnson told House Republicans that Trump now needs their support to “guide the next two weeks” in dealing with Democrats.
The United States Capitol Building in Washington, DC, Thursday, January 29, 2026.
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Speaking on “Truth Social” about his agreement with Democrats, Trump said, “I’m working hard with Congress to make sure that we can fully fund the government without delay. Republicans and Democrats in Congress are working together to fund the vast majority of the government through September, while also providing an extension for the Department of Homeland Security, including the very important Coast Guard, which we are expanding and rebuilding like never before.”
However, the spokesperson did remain optimistic that Republicans would still have leverage in the negotiations, sources said. Johnson noted that ICE already received funding under Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” and that offices like the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will face funding shortfalls.
“We can hang it around their necks,” Johnson said of Democrats, sources said.
The House is expected to take up the legislation by Monday night.
Original source of the article: ‘Opening Pandora’s box’: Mike Johnson backs Trump after warning White House of deal with Democrats
