The US government entered a partial shutdown on Saturday after Congress failed to meet the midnight deadline for passing the 2026 budget. This has led to a temporary halt in federal funding, according to AFP. Lawmakers suggested that the shutdown might be short, as the House is expected to approve a funding deal backed by the Senate early next week.
US Faces Partial Government Shutdown
The funding lapse occurred after negotiations broke down due to Democratic anger over the deaths of two protesters in Minneapolis involving federal immigration agents. This incident reportedly halted discussions about new funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Democrats are pushing for changes to the DHS funding bill. They want to add new rules regarding the conduct of federal agents before they agree to continue financing the department. This comes after the deaths of Good and Pretti, which happened during a surge of immigration agents that Trump ordered into Minnesota’s largest city.
Trump administration waste valuable resources
With no deal reached by the deadline, many non-essential government operations will stop until Congress approves either a temporary or full-year funding measure. Lawmakers are still trying to gather enough support to pass the Senate-backed deal when the House reconvenes.
“Instead of going after drug smugglers, child predators, and human traffickers, the US Administration is wasting valuable resources targeting peaceful protestors in Chicago and Minneapolis,” Senate Democratic Minority Whip Dick Durbin wrote on social media. He added that “This Administration continues to make Americans less safe.”
About three-quarters of federal operations impacted that lead to shutdown procedures in various agencies, including those involved in education, health, housing, and defense. Federal departments set to begin implementing shutdown plans overnight.
Read also: Bengaluru Police Inspector Caught Taking ₹4 Lakh Bribe from Builder