A partial government shutdown has begun in the US, as funding for many federal agencies expired after Congress failed to pass six spending bills before the deadline. The Senate voted late Friday to approve a five-bill package and extend funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for two weeks, but the deal still needs to be approved by the House.
The Trump administration's approach to immigration enforcement has been at the center of this funding fight. Lawmakers have been working on passing individual spending bills to fund federal agencies through September 2026, with six bills already passed and signed into law. The remaining six bills are the focus of the current funding dispute.
Bipartisan talks appeared to have yielded a deal in recent weeks, but the deadly shooting of Renee Good by an ICE officer in Minneapolis changed the calculus for Senate Democrats, who now refuse to support funding for DHS without further reforms. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has outlined Democrats' demands, including ending roving patrols by immigration agents, banning the use of masks, and tightening warrant requirements.
The House Rules Committee will convene this weekend before the full chamber returns on Monday. If the package survives the committee, it will face a procedural vote in the House, which could be affected by conservatives who have warned they may withhold their votes if their demands aren't met.
A shutdown typically begins when essential employees are forced to continue working without pay, with severe impacts on critical services like air traffic control and airport security. However, some agencies, such as the Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, remain funded through September.
The shutdown has the potential to be short-lived if Democrats and Republicans can come to an agreement, but the timing is uncertain. The House's razor-thin majority and the president's pressure on holdouts could propel the bill forward or stall it in its tracks.
Ultimately, a government shutdown occurs when Congress fails to pass funding for some or all agencies, which are funded annually by a dozen appropriations bills. The 12 bills need to be passed by Congress before the start of the new fiscal year on October 1, but lawmakers often wait until the last minute and group them together into larger packages to speed up the process.
The consequences of a shutdown can be significant, with employees facing unpaid leave and critical services disrupted. However, in this case, some agencies have been given temporary funding to continue operating, which may mitigate the impact of the shutdown.
The Trump administration's approach to immigration enforcement has been at the center of this funding fight. Lawmakers have been working on passing individual spending bills to fund federal agencies through September 2026, with six bills already passed and signed into law. The remaining six bills are the focus of the current funding dispute.
Bipartisan talks appeared to have yielded a deal in recent weeks, but the deadly shooting of Renee Good by an ICE officer in Minneapolis changed the calculus for Senate Democrats, who now refuse to support funding for DHS without further reforms. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has outlined Democrats' demands, including ending roving patrols by immigration agents, banning the use of masks, and tightening warrant requirements.
The House Rules Committee will convene this weekend before the full chamber returns on Monday. If the package survives the committee, it will face a procedural vote in the House, which could be affected by conservatives who have warned they may withhold their votes if their demands aren't met.
A shutdown typically begins when essential employees are forced to continue working without pay, with severe impacts on critical services like air traffic control and airport security. However, some agencies, such as the Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, remain funded through September.
The shutdown has the potential to be short-lived if Democrats and Republicans can come to an agreement, but the timing is uncertain. The House's razor-thin majority and the president's pressure on holdouts could propel the bill forward or stall it in its tracks.
Ultimately, a government shutdown occurs when Congress fails to pass funding for some or all agencies, which are funded annually by a dozen appropriations bills. The 12 bills need to be passed by Congress before the start of the new fiscal year on October 1, but lawmakers often wait until the last minute and group them together into larger packages to speed up the process.
The consequences of a shutdown can be significant, with employees facing unpaid leave and critical services disrupted. However, in this case, some agencies have been given temporary funding to continue operating, which may mitigate the impact of the shutdown.
. My kids are already stressing about school closures and delayed services, and as a parent, it's hard not to worry about the impact on them... I just hope our lawmakers can get their act together and pass some decent spending bills ASAP 
. And what's with all these demands from Senate Democrats? It feels like they're trying to address everything at once 
. Can't we just focus on getting things done for the country instead of playing politics? 
. I mean, Renee Good's death was a huge wake-up call for Senate Democrats, but now they're being stubborn and refusing to compromise 
The potential impact of a shutdown is huge - think about air traffic control, airport security... it's not even worth thinking about 
. Let's hope someone comes together and passes that bill already 
But at the same time, there are so many people affected by this - like Renee Good's family and the families of undocumented immigrants in general. It's crazy how politics can get so complicated! 
And what about the conservatives who might still veto the bill even with reforms in place? 
Will Congress manage to come together and pass something before it gets too late? Only time will tell... 
than the government shutdown right now! Did you hear that Amazon is already planning for mass redundancies? It's like, what's next?! The future of innovation and progress is at stake if we can't support our tech workers 
. Can't we find a way to make politics work without crippling the industries that drive our economy 
... like, what's going on over there? 
It feels like they're just delaying the inevitable and it'll probably get resolved eventually. The whole immigration enforcement thing is really complicated though 
. I don't think it's fair to punish innocent employees for something that hasn't been fully figured out yet 
. Air traffic control and airport security are literally our lives on the line, so can we please just get this sorted ASAP? 
. I feel bad for the people who are gonna be affected by this shutdown, especially air traffic control and stuff... that's like, super crucial 
️. But at the same time, it's hard to blame anyone for trying to get some reforms done on immigration enforcement 
. It feels like there's this big middle ground where they could work together to pass some bills 
. But it's hard when you've got 12 bills to get through in the last minute 
. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how it all shakes out... fingers crossed for a short shutdown 
.
. It's like clockwork, right? Congress can't even agree on passing a few spending bills 
. The immigration debate is just getting more complicated by the day 
or who rely on government services for their mental health 
? Giving some agencies a quick two-week extension isn't exactly going to solve anything 
. I'm all for bipartisan talks and compromise, but can we please get this stuff done in a timely manner 
? It's not like the world is gonna stop turning if Congress takes an extra week to pass their bills 
.
. Meanwhile, everyday Americans are the ones feeling the pinch 
. I just wish they'd focus on finding solutions that benefit everyone, not just their own party agendas 
so its basically congress failed 2 pass all those spending bills before oct 1 and now we got a 5-bill package approved by senate but its still gotta clear the house 
idk man i just hope its all sorted out soon 