UPDATE 1-Odds of US government shutdown rise after funding deal stalls in Senate

The deal, announced by Senate Democrats and President Donald Trump, would allow Congress to pass a spending bill that ⁠covers a wide swath of government operations, from the military to health programs, while they negotiate new limits on Trump's immigration crackdown. But action stalled in the Senate on Thursday night as some lawmakers objected to the agreement.


Reuters | Updated: 30-01-2026 20:01 IST | Created: 30-01-2026 20:01 IST
UPDATE 1-Odds of US government shutdown rise after funding deal stalls in Senate

Odds of a partial U.S. government shutdown rose on Friday after new barriers emerged in the ‌Senate to a deal that would ensure funding for agency operations would not be interrupted. The deal, announced by Senate Democrats and President Donald Trump, would allow Congress to pass a spending bill that ⁠covers a wide swath of government operations, from the military to health programs, while they negotiate new limits on Trump's immigration crackdown.

But action stalled in the Senate on Thursday night as some lawmakers objected to the agreement. The Senate was due to return at 11 a.m. Eastern time (1600 GMT), and funding ​expires at midnight. Even if the Senate passes the deal, it would also have to win approval from the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, ‍which is out of session this week. House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Thursday it would be difficult to get lawmakers back to Washington to vote before the midnight deadline.

Any shutdown that results might be brief. L awmakers from both parties have been working to ensure the debate over immigration enforcement does not disrupt other government operations. This ⁠is ‌a marked contrast from last fall, when ⁠Republicans and Democrats dug into their positions in a dispute over healthcare, prompting a shutdown that lasted a record 43 days and cost the U.S. economy an estimated $11 billion. The ‍deal would separate funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from the broader funding package, allowing lawmakers to approve spending for agencies like the Pentagon ​and the Department of Labor while they consider new restrictions on federal immigration agents.

Senate Democrats, angered by the shooting of a second ⁠U.S. citizen by immigration agents in Minneapolis last weekend, had threatened to hold up the funding package in an effort to force Trump to rein in DHS, which oversees federal ⁠immigration enforcement. Democrats want to end roving patrols, require agents to wear body cameras and prohibit them from wearing face masks. They also want to require immigration agents to get a search warrant from a judge, rather than from their own officials. Republicans say they are open ⁠to some of those ideas.

DHS funding would be extended for two weeks, giving negotiators time to reach an agreement on immigration tactics. The ⁠shooting death of nurse Alex Pretti ‌by federal agents on Saturday spurred widespread public outrage, prompting the Trump administration to de-escalate operations in the region. Pretti's death was the second this month of a U.S. citizen with no criminal record involving ⁠immigration law enforcement agents.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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