US Government Enters Partial Shutdown After Congress Fails to Pass 2026 Budget
The United States federal government entered a partial shutdown Saturday after the midnight funding deadline passed without Congress approving the 2026 budget, though disruptions are expected to be limited.
The funding lapse occurred after negotiations collapsed due to Democratic anger over two protesters killed by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, derailing budget discussions for the Department of Homeland Security.
Government shutdowns have become increasingly common in American politics over the past decade, with partisan gridlock preventing timely budget agreements. The longest shutdown in US history lasted 35 days from December 2018 to January 2019 during a dispute over border wall funding, affecting 800,000 federal workers and costing the economy an estimated $11 billion according to Congressional Budget Office analysis.
Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin wrote on social media that “instead of targeting drug traffickers, child abusers, and human smugglers, the Trump administration is spending valuable resources targeting peaceful protesters in Chicago and Minneapolis.”
Federal shutdowns occur when Congress fails to pass appropriations bills or continuing resolutions to fund government operations, forcing agencies to cease non-essential functions. Essential services like national security, air traffic control, and Social Security payments continue, but hundreds of thousands of federal employees face furloughs or working without pay until budget resolution, creating financial hardship and operational inefficiencies across government.
Approximately three-quarters of federal activities have been affected, potentially activating shutdown procedures across agencies from education and health to housing and defense departments.
If the shutdown extends beyond a few days, tens of thousands of federal employees will face unpaid furloughs or continued work without compensation until budget restoration.
The US government has previously experienced extended shutdowns due to budget disagreements between congressional parties and the executive branch over spending priorities and policy disputes.
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