Focus on the BIG picture.
Sunday, Feb 01, 2026
Outside the box.
Partial U.S. Government Shutdown Begins After Senate Passes Revised Funding Deal
Congress fails to complete spending legislation ahead of the deadline, triggering a weekend shutdown while lawmakers prepare to reconvene
A partial shutdown of the United States federal government took effect early Saturday after funding for key agencies lapsed despite the Senate’s passage of a revised spending package intended to avert a broader impasse.
The Senate voted on Friday to approve a bipartisan budget measure that would fund most government departments through September, while carving out a temporary two-week extension for the Department of Homeland Security amid ongoing debates over immigration enforcement and internal oversight.
Funding expired at midnight after the House of Representatives, then in recess until Monday, was unable to act on the Senate’s changes in time.
The lapse triggers shutdown procedures for the Departments of Defense, State, Treasury, Transportation, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Housing and Urban Development, among others, though essential services such as air traffic control, law enforcement and military operations continue to operate.
The Senate’s 71-29 vote to advance the spending package reflected rare bipartisan cooperation, influenced by negotiations between President Donald Trump and Democratic leaders focused on separating contentious Homeland Security provisions from broader appropriations.
Lawmakers are scheduled to return next week to consider the package formally and to approve the two-week extension for Homeland Security funding, giving Congress additional time to negotiate long-term reforms.
Budget talks have been shaped in part by public and legislative demands for changes to immigration enforcement following the deaths of civilians in encounters with federal agents, prompting Senate Democrats to insist on accountability measures.
The interim shutdown is widely expected to be brief, as most federal offices are closed over the weekend and the House is poised to act quickly upon returning to Washington.
The episode underscores persistent partisan divisions over fiscal policy and immigration priorities even as leaders seek to minimise disruption and complete the appropriations process.
The Senate voted on Friday to approve a bipartisan budget measure that would fund most government departments through September, while carving out a temporary two-week extension for the Department of Homeland Security amid ongoing debates over immigration enforcement and internal oversight.
Funding expired at midnight after the House of Representatives, then in recess until Monday, was unable to act on the Senate’s changes in time.
The lapse triggers shutdown procedures for the Departments of Defense, State, Treasury, Transportation, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Housing and Urban Development, among others, though essential services such as air traffic control, law enforcement and military operations continue to operate.
The Senate’s 71-29 vote to advance the spending package reflected rare bipartisan cooperation, influenced by negotiations between President Donald Trump and Democratic leaders focused on separating contentious Homeland Security provisions from broader appropriations.
Lawmakers are scheduled to return next week to consider the package formally and to approve the two-week extension for Homeland Security funding, giving Congress additional time to negotiate long-term reforms.
Budget talks have been shaped in part by public and legislative demands for changes to immigration enforcement following the deaths of civilians in encounters with federal agents, prompting Senate Democrats to insist on accountability measures.
The interim shutdown is widely expected to be brief, as most federal offices are closed over the weekend and the House is poised to act quickly upon returning to Washington.
The episode underscores persistent partisan divisions over fiscal policy and immigration priorities even as leaders seek to minimise disruption and complete the appropriations process.
