Partial Government Shutdown Hits US Despite Senate Deal

A partial U.S. government shutdown began early Saturday morning, triggered by a procedural delay in Congress even after the Senate overwhelmingly passed a major funding agreement.

The Senate approved a package of five spending bills with a strong 71-29 bipartisan vote. The deal also included a two-week temporary funding measure for the Department of Homeland Security, giving lawmakers more time to resolve disagreements over the agency's budget.

However, the government's funding authority expired before the House of Representatives could vote on the package. With the House not scheduled to return to Washington until Monday, a shutdown became unavoidable. This lapse in funding follows the record 43-day shutdown experienced last year but is expected to be short-lived.

Johnson Signals Support, Citing Trump's Endorsement

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., indicated that the House would move quickly to resolve the situation. In a conference call with House Republicans on Friday, he announced his support for the Senate-passed deal, a decision he linked directly to President Donald Trump's endorsement of the package.

Johnson expressed his hope that the House would pass the bill on Monday. Once approved by the House, the spending legislation will be sent to President Trump for his signature.

On Thursday, Trump had encouraged lawmakers to support the deal in a post on his Truth Social platform, aiming to fund most of the federal government through the end of the fiscal year on September 30.

Federal Agencies Brace for Impact

With congressional appropriations expired, several key federal departments are now operating in a shutdown status. These include the Departments of State, Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Transportation, among other related agencies.

In anticipation of the funding lapse, U.S. Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought issued a memo to federal agency heads on Friday. He instructed that employees "should report to work for their next regularly scheduled tour of duty to undertake orderly shutdown activities."

Vought added that the administration would continue working with Congress to finalize appropriations for Fiscal Year 2026. "It is our hope that this lapse will be short," he wrote.

Inside the Senate Delay: Graham's Demands

The Senate's approval of the funding package was delayed by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who placed a hold on the measure to secure votes on his own legislative priorities. Senate leaders had originally planned a vote for Thursday night, but Graham's hold prevented it.

The deal had already separated funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) into a temporary measure. This was a response to intense criticism from Democrats regarding the agency's aggressive immigration enforcement tactics in Minnesota.

Graham refused to lift his hold until he was guaranteed a vote on two key amendments:

• Sanctuary Cities: A bill to impose criminal penalties on state and local officials who "willfully interfere with the enforcement of federal immigration laws."

• Arctic Frost Investigation: An amendment requiring officials to notify senators if their phone records are obtained during a criminal investigation, a direct response to the "Arctic Frost" probe led by then-special counsel Jack Smith.

Graham had previously criticized Speaker Johnson after the House included language in its spending package to repeal a law that would have allowed senators to sue for up to $500,000 if their records were obtained during the Arctic Frost investigation.