Democrats’ Standstill Leads to Partial Government Shutdown

The federal government has entered a partial shutdown due to a failure in Congress to reach an agreement on a spending plan. This stalemate is rooted in a contentious debate over border enforcement, ignited by last weekend’s tragic shooting in Minneapolis.

In an intense session late Friday, the Senate moved to approve five appropriations bills alongside a temporary measure to fund the Department of Homeland Security for an additional two weeks. This compromise aims to address Democratic calls for reforms in immigration enforcement and serves as a counter to President Donald Trump’s firm stance on deportation policies.

The proposed legislation passed with a 71-29 vote. Notably, independent Senator Bernie Sanders and a group of five Republican senators—Ted Cruz, Ron Johnson, Mike Lee, Rand Paul, and Rick Scott—aligned with 23 Democrats in opposition.

While the shutdown is expected to be less comprehensive than the 43-day closure experienced late last year, the effects will still be felt. Many services that were previously disrupted, such as SNAP food assistance programs, farm loans, and maintenance of national parks, have already secured funding through measures enacted in November and earlier this month, as reported by Politico.

Many of the services that were wiped out during that pause – SNAP food assistance programs, farm loans, upkeep at national parks – were already funded back in November and earlier this month, Politico reported. 

The Departments of Energy, Commerce, Justice, Agriculture, Interior and Veterans Affairs, the EPA, FDA and military construction projects will all also stay operational. 

However, the Departments of Homeland Security, State and Treasury will be affected, as will federal transportation, labor, health, housing and educational programs, along with the IRS and some foreign aid.  

But the House must approve the new deal, and it’s on recess until Monday, guaranteeing funding will lapse at least until next week.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, speaks at a press conference with other members of Senate Democratic leadership following a policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on January 28, 2026

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem holds a news conference at the headquarters for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to discuss a major winter storm affecting much of the country as well as the shooting death of a Minneapolis man by federal agents in Minnesota, in Washington, DC, on January 24, 2026

Speaker Mike Johnson, who held a conference call Friday with GOP lawmakers, said he expects the House to vote Monday evening. But what is uncertain is how much support there will be for the package. 

The stalemate marks a new standoff as outrage still swirls over last weekend’s fatal shooting of Minneapolis man Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents. 

The Senate deal faces an uphill battle in the House, where some Republicans are already pushing back. 

Rep. Ralph Norman texted NOTUS on Friday calling the Senate agreement ‘ludicrous’ and vowing, ‘We should not allow this to happen.’ 

Democrats have sharpened attacks on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who faces growing demands to rein in aggressive border operations.

On Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer blasted DHS leadership, accusing Noem, Trump, and senior adviser Stephen Miller of unleashing Immigration and Customs Enforcement ‘without guardrails.’ 

Democrats seized the moment — and public anger — to peel DHS out of the larger appropriations package, forcing a separate fight over the agency’s conduct and future funding. 

The maneuver not only gives them leverage in upcoming border negotiations but also underscores how the Pretti shooting has changed the dynamics around immigration, long considered one of Trump’s greatest political strengths. 

Federal agents try to clear the demonstrators near a hotel, using tear gas during a noise demonstration protest in response to federal immigration enforcement operations in the city Sunday, January 25, 2026, in Minneapolis

Trump posted to Truth Social Thursday that he and Congress were ‘working hard’ to get a deal done

Republicans, meanwhile, fumed that Democrats are exploiting tragedy for political gain, accusing them of endangering national security by holding up money for border patrol and counterterrorism operations.

A brief shutdown over the weekend is expected to cause minimal disruption, as most federal workers don’t report on Sundays.

Trump posted to Truth Social Thursday that he and Congress were ‘working hard’ to get a deal done.  

‘Republicans and Democrats in Congress have come together to get the vast majority of the Government funded until September, while at the same time providing an extension to the Department of Homeland Security (including the very important Coast Guard, which we are expanding and rebuilding like never before),’ he wrote.

Trump asked both Republicans and Democrats to vote yes on the deal.