U.S. government shuts down but quick resolution expected

U.S. government partially shuts down amid funding disputes, but a quick resolution is anticipated with upcoming congressional actions.

The U.S. government entered a partial shutdown Saturday (January 31, 2026) as a midnight funding deadline passed without Congress approving a 2026 Budget, though disruption was expected to be limited with the House set to move early next week to ratify a Senate-backed deal.

The funding lapse followed a breakdown in negotiations driven by Democratic anger over the killing of two protesters in Minneapolis by federal immigration agents, which derailed talks over new money for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

"Instead of going after drug smugglers, child predators, and human traffickers, the Trump administration is wasting valuable resources targeting peaceful protestors in Chicago and Minneapolis," Senate Democratic Minority Whip Dick Durbin posted on social media.

"This Administration continues to make Americans less safe."

Roughly three-quarters of federal operations are affected, potentially triggering shutdown procedures across a wide range of agencies and operations, from education and health to housing and defense.

Federal departments were expected to begin implementing shutdown plans overnight, but congressional leaders in both parties said the Senate's action made a short disruption far more likely than a prolonged impasse.