US Senate passes funding bill, brief government shutdown still likely

The US Senate late Friday passed a government funding package aimed at averting a prolonged shutdown, but several federal agencies are still set to face a short lapse in funding as the House of Representatives is not expected to vote on the bill until Monday.The spending package was approved by a bipartisan vote of 71–29 and was backed by President Donald Trump. The bill includes funding for most federal departments through the end of the fiscal year in September, while the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been granted only a two-week extension.
The agreement was reached after negotiations between the US President and Senate Democrats following the deaths of two protesters, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, in separate incidents involving federal agents in Minneapolis.
Under the deal, DHS funding will continue at current levels for two weeks, giving lawmakers time to consider Democratic demands to unmask federal agents, require more warrants and allow local authorities to investigate incidents linked to immigration enforcement.Trump publicly endorsed the agreement and urged lawmakers from both parties to support it, signalling his intention to avoid another prolonged shutdown during his second term.

However, despite Senate approval, a brief government shutdown remains likely. Funding for several federal agencies is set to expire at 12:01 am Eastern time on Saturday, as the House is out of session and not expected to take up the bill until Monday.
Also Read: The Latest: Justice Department is releasing 3 million pages from Jeffrey Epstein filesHouse Speaker Mike Johnson has said the chamber intends to act quickly when it returns. The White House budget office has instructed federal agencies to begin shutdown procedures, indicating expectations of a short funding lapse.

The affected departments include Treasury, Defence, Homeland Security, Transportation, Health and Human Services, and Labour. White House Budget Director Russ Vought said the administration hopes the lapse will be brief.

If the House passes the legislation early Monday, federal operations could resume the same day, officials said.

This would mark the second government shutdown of Trump’s second term. The previous shutdown, which began in October last year, lasted 43 days and disrupted food assistance programmes, delayed air travel and left hundreds of thousands of federal workers without pay.

Lawmakers expect the current funding lapse to be resolved within days, limiting the overall impact on government operations. Congress has already passed six of the 12 annual budget bills, but the remaining measures cover roughly 78% of federal operations.

Once the House approves the bill, lawmakers will have two weeks to negotiate a full-year DHS funding package, a process both parties have acknowledged will be politically fraught.

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