Speaker Johnson Addresses Shutdown Resolution
Families at Grand Forks Air Force Base kept one eye on Washington this morning as House Speaker Mike Johnson delivered remarks on a potential shutdown deal; you can watch live via C‑SPAN’s live stream. The Senate signaled it would move a funding measure on the floor based on today’s published schedule, according to the Senate majority’s floor calendar.
Johnson’s comments matter because agency operations and paychecks hinge on how quickly a final bill clears both chambers, according to the White House Office of Management and Budget’s contingency guidance. Essential functions at bases and airports continue during lapses, but many services pause and workers face delayed pay until Congress acts, per OPM’s shutdown procedures. We’re tracking immediate reactions from the North Dakota delegation and will update with confirmed details as Johnson’s remarks conclude.
Quick link: Where to watch and follow
Live remarks: C‑SPAN
Senate floor updates: Majority Leader’s schedule
House floor updates: House Clerk – Floor summary
How the Senate Moved Toward a Vote
The Senate typically advances short-term funding bills (continuing resolutions) through a series of procedural steps—agreement to proceed, debate, and a final vote—unless unanimous consent allows a faster path, according to the U.S. Senate’s process guide. Today’s listing indicates leadership plans to call up a funding vehicle, a standard sign that negotiators believe they have the votes to advance, per the majority’s published schedule.
Shutdown standoffs have grown more frequent in the past decade, with the longest lasting 35 days in 2018–19; that episode delayed pay for hundreds of thousands of workers and disrupted farm, aviation, and research services, according to the Congressional Research Service. In recent cycles, Congress has relied on short stopgaps to buy time for full-year bills, a pattern that raises the risk of repeated brinkmanship, CRS notes in its overview of shutdown dynamics.
What It Means for North Dakota and Grand Forks
For Grand Forks Air Force Base, core missions continue during a funding lapse, but some civilian support functions, travel, and training can be curtailed until appropriations are restored, according to the Defense Department’s shutdown guidance. A quick deal would minimize disruptions for airmen and civilian employees, who otherwise receive back pay only after Congress finalizes a bill, per OPM.
On campus, federal student aid processing and campus-based programs continue for a time under existing funding and contracts, but prolonged lapses can slow grant-making and agency reviews, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s contingency planning. UND labs supported by federal grants may face delayed reimbursements or paused new awards if agencies scale back operations during a lapse, as outlined by the CRS summary of research impacts.
Beyond the base and campus, essential airport security and air-traffic functions continue at Grand Forks International, while some administrative services may be delayed, according to the Department of Homeland Security’s lapse plans. Producers across the Red River Valley could see slower service at local Farm Service Agency offices if a lapse persists, per USDA contingency plans. City projects that rely on federal reimbursements, including flood-protection work timed to spring high water, can also be affected if agency payments are delayed, the City of Grand Forks advises in routine grant-administration updates.
Local resources and contacts
City of Grand Forks updates: grandforksgov.com
UND notices and research guidance: UND News
Grand Forks AFB Public Affairs: gfafb.af.mil
Grand Forks Chamber for business questions: grandforks.org
Grand Forks Public Schools updates: gfschools.org
Voices from Leadership and Community
Johnson has emphasized moving a package that can clear both chambers, a priority echoed by Senate leaders in recent cycles when pursuing short-term funding bills, according to summaries by the Associated Press. North Dakota’s congressional delegation typically backs pay continuity for service members and efforts to limit disruption to farm and energy programs; recent statements to that effect are compiled in prior session roundups by AP and Reuters.
Local officials say predictability is the immediate need. Business groups have warned that repeated stopgaps complicate hiring and contracting, a point the Grand Forks/East Grand Forks Chamber has raised in prior federal policy briefings available at grandforks.org. We’ve requested updated comment from the Mayor’s Office, UND’s research administration, and Grand Forks AFB Public Affairs and will add their statements here as they are released.
The Road Ahead for a Deal
If the Senate passes a funding bill, the House must either accept it or amend and return it—decisions the Speaker controls through the floor schedule, according to the House Clerk’s process summary. Once both chambers pass identical text, the measure goes to the President for signature before agencies resume full operations under the new funding, per the OMB budget process guide.
Unresolved questions include the duration of any stopgap, whether disaster or border funds ride with the package, and how quickly agencies can unwind contingency posture—issues that can shape service restoration timelines, according to CRS’s shutdown analysis in RL34680.
What to Watch
Senate floor action: Watch for a procedural vote and final passage timing on the majority’s schedule. If passed, the bill moves immediately to the House.
House response: Speaker Johnson’s next steps will determine whether the chamber takes up the Senate bill quickly or seeks changes; track the House floor for posting of debate rules and vote windows.
Local operations: City, UND, and GFAFB will post service updates if a lapse continues; monitor the resources above for changes in hours, travel, or grant timelines.
