Did the U.S. government shut down today? What to know about federal funding gap

The United States government entered a partial shutdown today, Saturday Jan. 31, after lawmakers were unable to approve funding for a raft of federal agencies before Friday’s deadline of midnight ET.

The shutdown affects six of 12 appropriations bills for the fiscal year running until Sep. 30, 2026. Impacted departments include Defense, Education, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Transportation.

Although senators were able to pass a spending package late on Friday, the legislation must also be approved by the House of Representatives, which is not due to convene until after the weekend.

When will the House vote to end shutdown?

The “earliest floor action we could have is Monday”, House speaker Mike Johnson said on Thursday. However, Johnson predicted only a “short shutdown situation”, adding: “the House is going to do its job”.

What is the current shutdown about?

The shutdown has arisen after Democratic senators pushed back against approving a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in the wake of this month’s killings of U.S. citizens Renée Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis.

The Democratic Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, described the bill as “woefully inadequate to rein in the abuses of ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement]”.

Part of a bundle of six funding bills that had already passed the House, the year-long DHS legislation has been removed from the package, allowing lawmakers time to include reforms to immigration authorities’ operations.

“Over the next few days, Senate Democrats will be focused on negotiating real restraints to put an end to the chaos we’re seeing on our streets,” Patty Murray, the Democratic senator from Washington, told reporters on Friday.

In the meantime, senators have passed a stopgap funding extension for the DHS, along with the five longer-term appropriations bills.

Another shutdown under Trump

This is the second federal shutdown since Donald Trump returned to the presidency in January 2025.

Last fall, the U.S. endured a 43-day stoppage - from Oct. 1 to Nov. 12 - amid disagreement between Republicans and Democrats over healthcare spending. It was the longest shutdown in U.S. history.

The U.S. also experienced a lengthy shutdown during Trump’s first term as president: a 35-day stoppage running from December 2018 to January 2019.

Overall, the current partial shutdown is the 22nd funding gap since Congress introduced its present budgeting process in 1976, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

Related stories

Politics

Speaker Johnson says Americans should expect a “short shutdown”

Social Security

Deal to avoid shutdown stalls: How Social Security is affected

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.