President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, January 29, 2026.
© Aaron Schwartz / UPI / ABACAPRESS.COM
The U.S. government is expected to undergo a brief partial shutdown this weekend following the expiration of temporary funding put in place after the most recent federal shutdown, as Congress awaits a vote on a new budget agreement that could take place on Monday.
Under congressional procedure, the House of Representatives will not vote until Monday, after the Senate transmits its version of the partial funding bill in the coming hours.
If approved by both chambers, the bill would be sent to President Donald Trump for signature, thereby averting a paralysis of federal services similar to the one that occurred between October and November 2025, which lasted 43 days.
At midnight on Friday, when the current funding expires, dozens of federal agencies will run out of budgetary authority. However, the White House, Republican senators, and Democrats reached an agreement on Thursday to adopt a temporary funding plan that includes a two-week budget extension for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The agreement reached Thursday between Democratic and Republican senators and the White House seeks to exclude DHS funding, an issue of contention in Congress following the deaths of civilians in Minneapolis during an operation involving immigration agents, from a package of six appropriations bills.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham nevertheless described the proposal as a “bad deal,” questioning the speed of its adoption in the Senate and underscoring ongoing political tensions.
“I hope the situation will be better tomorrow,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said as he left the Capitol on Thursday evening. “Tomorrow is another day, and I hope people will be willing to find a solution,” he added.
The United States is facing its second government shutdown in less than a year, following the longest shutdown in its history, which lasted 43 days from October 1 to November 12, 2025.
