Government Shutdown Looms as Funding for Many Agencies Expire.
A partial government shutdown is imminent after Congress failed to pass six spending bills, leaving funding for many federal agencies expired. The Senate approved a five-bill package that extends funding for the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks, but it still needs to be signed off by the House before Monday's return to Washington.
The focus of the current funding fight is largely centered on immigration enforcement under the Trump administration. Despite bipartisan talks yielding a deal in recent weeks, lawmakers faced an obstacle when Senate Democrats refused to back the package without reforms aimed at limiting Immigration and Customs Enforcement's powers following the deadly shooting of Renee Good by an ICE officer in Minneapolis.
To break the impasse, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer proposed stripping out funding for DHS. In response, GOP leaders opted to hold an initial vote on the entire funding package as planned but failed. Hours later, Senate Democrats struck a deal with the White House that extends funding for DHS at current levels for two weeks while negotiations over broader reforms continue.
As of now, some departments and their subagencies like Defense Department, State Department, Department of Labor, and others are not funded due to the expired spending bills. Meanwhile, six appropriations bills have been approved by both chambers, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, and more.
When does a government shutdown occur? According to law, federal agencies must stop nonessential functions when new funding is not enacted within a certain timeframe. While some essential employees might be required to work without pay, they will eventually receive backpay upon the reopening of the government.
The House Rules Committee will convene on Monday at 4 p.m. Eastern Time to consider the revised funding package. If it clears the committee and passes in the House with the right votes, President Trump is expected to quickly sign the measures into law, bringing an end to the funding lapse.
A partial government shutdown is imminent after Congress failed to pass six spending bills, leaving funding for many federal agencies expired. The Senate approved a five-bill package that extends funding for the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks, but it still needs to be signed off by the House before Monday's return to Washington.
The focus of the current funding fight is largely centered on immigration enforcement under the Trump administration. Despite bipartisan talks yielding a deal in recent weeks, lawmakers faced an obstacle when Senate Democrats refused to back the package without reforms aimed at limiting Immigration and Customs Enforcement's powers following the deadly shooting of Renee Good by an ICE officer in Minneapolis.
To break the impasse, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer proposed stripping out funding for DHS. In response, GOP leaders opted to hold an initial vote on the entire funding package as planned but failed. Hours later, Senate Democrats struck a deal with the White House that extends funding for DHS at current levels for two weeks while negotiations over broader reforms continue.
As of now, some departments and their subagencies like Defense Department, State Department, Department of Labor, and others are not funded due to the expired spending bills. Meanwhile, six appropriations bills have been approved by both chambers, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, and more.
When does a government shutdown occur? According to law, federal agencies must stop nonessential functions when new funding is not enacted within a certain timeframe. While some essential employees might be required to work without pay, they will eventually receive backpay upon the reopening of the government.
The House Rules Committee will convene on Monday at 4 p.m. Eastern Time to consider the revised funding package. If it clears the committee and passes in the House with the right votes, President Trump is expected to quickly sign the measures into law, bringing an end to the funding lapse.
they're playing with fire, ya know? a partial shutdown can get ugly real quick, especially when people start losing pay... it's like, we got our politicians talking about reforming ICE and stuff, but at what cost? 
i just hope no one gets hurt or loses their homes because of this mess.
Like, what's the big deal? It's just 2 weeks 
. Folks need to chill out and think about the bigger picture here. This is all just politics as usual. We should be focusing on actual issues that matter like climate change or something 
. A little shutdown isn't gonna break anyone, right? 
... I'm not sure why Congress can't get their act together on this one. On one hand, I think it's a good idea to revisit immigration enforcement policies after that tragic shooting in Minneapolis 
. Stripping out DHS funding is also a valid move if Senate Democrats aren't willing to back the package without those reforms.
... like Defense and State, which are already struggling with budget cuts 
. Can't Congress find a way to compromise that doesn't put so many lives at risk?
.
i get that senate dems r still hung up on those immigration reforms but come on can we just focus on passing those spending bills already? 
the house republians are being super unreasonable holding up the whole thing over DHS funding... meanwhile we got people relying on gov agencies 2 do their jobs 
will essential employees still get payed if they work without a paycheck? 
. I'm not even mad at them, it's just frustrating. Can't we all agree on something for once? 
. Some people might be affected by the shutdown, like those in Defense or Labor departments, so hope they're prepared for this 
like, what's the big deal about immigration enforcement anyway? Can't they just find a compromise? 
Defense department, State department, labor department - how are they supposed to function without a dime? 
I'm hoping for a quick fix on Monday but until then, it's anyone's guess... 
i'm all for addressing immigration reform and protecting our citizens, but shutting down essential departments is just crazy talk 
which is just not fair to anyone involved
. Come on, guys! Can we not have a civil disagreement for once?!
I mean, no one wants to be without pay for an extended period of time. 
.
. But seriously, it feels like Congress is stuck in a Groundhog Day loop 
. They need to pass that spending bill already! 
Well, this is like the government version of it. Except instead of millions of dollars, they're fighting over billions 
. Can't we just have a straightforward conversation about how to address these issues without all the politics getting in the way? 
.
. Like, the Department of Defense and the Food and Drug Administration are gonna keep pushing the boundaries of tech and medical breakthroughs 
. And it's awesome that Congress is trying to find a compromise on immigration reform 
. I mean, what if there's no funding for food assistance programs? That'd be a disaster 
. And what about national parks and museums? They need funding to stay open so tourists can enjoy them 
. It's like, the House is all about politics but everyday people are the ones who suffer 
. Plus, some of these agencies aren't doing anything super essential right now 
. And hey, bipartisan talks were just starting to happen, so maybe this is actually a good sign that everyone's coming together 
. Let's just keep our fingers crossed and hope it gets resolved soon... 
let's all keep our fingers crossed that they come up with a solution that works for everyone 
.