A partial government shutdown has taken effect after federal funding for a slew of agencies and departments lapsed at midnight on Saturday. But the closure is mostly technical, and a fix is on the way.
The Senate passed its compromise package to fund the remainder of the 2026 fiscal year budget, with the exception of the Department of Homeland Security, which will have its current budget temporarily extended for two weeks as lawmakers continue negotiations.
But the spending bill still needs approval from the House before it can be sent to President Donald Trump’s desk, resulting in the temporary shutdown.
The lapse in funding is likely to have minimal effects as the House is expected to approve the bipartisan package as early as Monday. GOP leaders advised lawmakers to begin traveling back early in the weekend to avoid weather delays.
Still, House GOP leaders will have their work cut out for them as some conservative Republicans have objected to removing the DHS portion from the final spending package. Stripping out the Homeland Security bill was a key demand from Democrats to renegotiate limits for federal immigration officers after a fatal shooting in Minnesota last week.
House GOP leaders will put the spending bill on the floor under suspension of rules to expedite passage, meaning it will require a two-thirds majority threshold to pass — higher than the typical simple majority requirement. But doing so will allow Republican leaders to avoid members of their own party tanking procedural votes in protest, putting the entire package in peril.
House Republicans ask for spending package to include SAVE America Act
The extension for DHS funding will last only two weeks, giving lawmakers little time to negotiate and push a bill forward. Democrats have already laid out their demands, which are sure to receive pushback from conservatives who say they don’t want to hinder law enforcement.
Other Republicans have refused to support any spending package that doesn’t include Sen. Mike Lee’s SAVE America Act, a bill that would enact stricter voting requirements for federal elections. Rep. Anna Paulina, R-Fla., said she wouldn’t advance any legislation without the SAVE America Act attached, signaling others may follow suit.
Still, a majority of Republicans are likely to vote in favor of the spending package, which has been endorsed and negotiated by President Donald Trump. The president urged Republicans to pass the package as quickly as possible to avoid another lengthy shutdown.
The weekend shutdown is the second of Trump’s second term.
Democrats ask for 3 main ICE reforms
The spending package that passed the Senate on Friday nearly completes the budget for the 2026 fiscal year. However, lawmakers will need to rewrite the bill for the Department of Homeland Security after Democrats demanded changes following a fatal shooting by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis.
Democrats outlined three main demands in exchange for DHS funding: tightened rules on requiring warrants for arrests; prohibiting agents from wearing masks and requiring them to wear body cameras and identification; and implementing a universal code of conduct for use-of-force policies that reflect what is required by state and local law enforcement officials.
Those demands are likely to be adjusted as negotiations continue, and some conservative Republicans in the House have signaled they have requests of their own they want to see implemented.
For example, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said he wants to add language banning cities from acting as sanctuaries and blocking cooperation with federal immigration officials.
The Department of Homeland Security will only receive funding for the next two weeks, after which the agency could shut down if a new spending agreement isn’t made. Democrats have said that’s plenty of time to hammer out a deal, but Republicans are more skeptical.