Congress failed to finalize a full-year budget before the deadline, triggering a partial shutdown as lawmakers spar over immigration enforcement and Department of Homeland Security funding.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The federal government entered a partial shutdown just after midnight Friday after Congress failed to reach agreement on a full-year budget, marking the second shutdown in six months and underscoring deepening divisions over immigration enforcement and Department of Homeland Security funding.
The Office of Management and Budget was expected to begin directing federal agencies to initiate shutdown procedures as the deadline passed. Unlike the previous shutdown, however, the lapse in funding affects only portions of the federal government. Congress succeeded in passing legislation to fully fund several areas, including the Department of Agriculture, the legislative branch, and the Department of Justice, while leaving much of the federal budget unresolved.
The breakdown followed Senate Democrats’ decision to walk away from a bipartisan agreement to fund the government through the remainder of fiscal year 2026. The reversal came amid political fallout from President Donald Trump’s deployment of federal law enforcement to Minneapolis, where two U.S. citizens were shot and killed during separate demonstrations opposing the administration’s immigration crackdown.
In response to those incidents, Democrats threatened to block a sweeping federal funding bill unless funding for the Department of Homeland Security was removed. The legislation in question also covers major agencies, including the departments of War, Labor, Health and Human Services, Transportation, and others.
As a result, the partial shutdown raises the prospect of airline delays, potential interruptions in pay for active-duty military personnel, and limits on certain Medicaid and Medicare services if the funding lapse extends.
Late Friday, Senate Democrats reached a revised agreement with the White House that would fund all federal agencies except DHS through Sept. 30. Under the arrangement, DHS would continue operating under a two-week extension at current spending levels, giving lawmakers time to negotiate a longer-term compromise that Democrats say must include stricter guardrails on immigration enforcement agencies.
President Trump praised the temporary funding agreement in a post on Truth Social, saying he had reached the deal with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. Trump urged Republicans to back the plan and warned that “the only thing that can slow our Country down is another long and damaging Government Shutdown.”
The compromise nevertheless sparked frustration among several Senate Republicans, some of whom were already opposed to the original funding package. A number of lawmakers objected to billions of dollars in earmarks attached to the legislation.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., sharply criticized a House provision that would allow senators to sue for up to $500,000 if their phone records were subpoenaed by former Special Counsel Jack Smith. “You jammed me, Speaker Johnson. I won’t forget this,” Graham said. “I got a lot of good friends in the House. If you think I’m going to give up on this, you really don’t know me.”
Despite internal resistance, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., was able to advance the modified funding package with the help of Senate Democrats, clearing it in the Senate hours before the deadline. The measure now returns to the House, where lawmakers must vote again due to the Senate’s changes.
The House had passed the original funding plan in late January before Democrats withdrew their support. The duration of the current shutdown will now depend on how quickly House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., can assemble sufficient bipartisan support to approve the revised legislation when the chamber reconvenes next week.
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