Partial U.S. Government Shutdown Begins as Funding Vote Awaits House Action

By Emmanuel Bobby

Most of the U.S. federal government shut down as the clock struck midnight on Saturday, Jan. 31, after lawmakers failed to enact a funding bill before the deadline. The shutdown is expected to be brief, however, as Congress moves toward final approval.

The Senate passed a government funding measure late Friday following a deal between President Donald Trump and Senate Democratic leaders. The House of Representatives is not in session, prompting a partial shutdown over the weekend. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told members during a Friday call that he plans to hold a vote on the bill Monday, according to a source familiar with the matter.

The funding lapse is expected to have limited immediate impact, as most federal employees do not work on weekends and Trump has pledged to sign the bill quickly once it reaches his desk. Still, any delay in the House could extend the shutdown into next week.

Several major agencies are affected by the lapse in funding, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees immigration enforcement and has faced scrutiny following two high-profile killings of American citizens in Minneapolis involving immigration agents. Other departments impacted include Defense, State, Treasury, Transportation, Health and Human Services, and Housing and Urban Development.

In a memo issued Friday night, the Office of Management and Budget instructed affected agencies to “execute plans for an orderly shutdown,” adding that officials hoped the funding gap would be short.

Once approved by the House and signed into law, the Senate-passed legislation would fund most of the government through the end of September. DHS, however, would receive funding for only two weeks, reflecting Democratic demands for changes to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.

The short-term DHS funding emerged after Democrats withdrew support for a previously negotiated measure following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by DHS agents, which sparked widespread public backlash. Under the compromise, Republicans and the White House agreed to a two-week extension to allow negotiations on potential reforms.

Democrats say they intend to use the two-week window to push for changes such as ending “roving patrols,” tightening warrant requirements for arrests, establishing a formal code of conduct for immigration agents, and mandating the use of identification and body cameras.

“These are not radical demands,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the Senate floor Friday. “They’re basic standards the American people already expect from law enforcement.”

Any DHS funding bill at the new Feb. 13 deadline will again require 60 votes in the Senate. Schumer warned Republicans that Democratic support would depend on meaningful policy changes.

Some Republicans expressed skepticism about the negotiations. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said he doubted talks would lead to agreement and warned of a prolonged DHS shutdown if Democrats insist on reforms he believes would weaken ICE.

The funding package advanced after the Senate rejected a series of proposed amendments. In one notable vote, Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, joined Democrats and independents in supporting an amendment from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., to repeal $75 billion in additional ICE funding approved last year. The amendment failed 49–51.

The final vote came after Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., lifted a procedural hold he placed on the bill Thursday, calling it a “bad deal.” Graham had demanded a vote on legislation targeting sanctuary cities and objected to a House provision repealing a measure that would allow senators to sue over subpoenaed phone records related to a prior investigation.

With expectations that his sanctuary cities proposal will receive a vote in the coming weeks, Graham allowed the funding measure to proceed.

Johnson voiced frustration that the Senate did not take up the House’s earlier six-bill funding package, which included full-year funding for DHS. However, with Trump backing the Senate agreement, Johnson said he would move forward with a House vote.

“The Homeland Security appropriations bill includes far more than ICE,” Johnson said, noting that it also funds agencies such as FEMA. “We’re in the middle of a winter storm situation, and you can’t have these agencies unfunded. That’s dangerous.”