nWASHINGTON--A partial U.S. government shutdown entered its second day Sunday after Congress failed to pass final appropriations legislation before the fiscal year deadline, leaving funding for several major federal agencies to lapse at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.
Although the Senate approved a compromise funding package Friday that would keep most government operations funded through September and extend Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding on a short-term basis, the House did not take it up before the deadline, triggering the lapse in appropriations.
House Speaker Mike Johnson acknowledged Sunday that the shutdown will not end when the House returns Monday, but expressed confidence that lawmakers can pass the funding measure and reopen the government by Tuesday, Feb. 3. He said the package would fund all agencies except DHS by that point and allow a two-week window for negotiations on DHS policy and immigration enforcement reforms, Reuters reported.
The political impasse centers on immigration policy. Senate negotiators struck a deal to decouple DHS funding — including Immigration and Customs Enforcement — from the broader spending package, giving lawmakers two weeks to work out reforms. But House Democrats, led by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, have withheld support for the procedural steps to accelerate consideration of the Senate-passed bill, demanding broader debate and stronger immigration enforcement reforms before they will back funding.
The shutdown’s actual impact so far has been limited compared with last year’s record 43-day closure: key programs like SNAP nutrition benefits and many Department of Agriculture operations remain funded for the year, and essential functions such as air traffic control and border security continue. However, funding lapses affect the Pentagon, Transportation Department, FEMA disaster programs, and other agencies, meaning workers could be furloughed or work without pay if the impasse drags on.
Looking ahead, lawmakers return to Washington Monday with procedural votes expected on the House floor. If a majority of House Republicans unite around Speaker Johnson’s strategy — and ideally with some Democratic support — the funding measure could clear the chamber and be sent to the White House by Tuesday. But lingering GOP divisions over DHS provisions and Democratic demands for reforms mean uncertainty still surrounds both the timeline and the policy outcomes tied to ending the shutdown.
Jason Stverak
“Any government shutdown—even a short one—creates real uncertainty and anxiety for the active-duty servicemembers, Coast Guard members, and military families our credit unions proudly serve,” stated Defense Credit Union Council Chief Advocacy Officer Jason Stverak. “For families living paycheck to paycheck, questions about delayed pay or disrupted benefits are not theoretical—they’re immediate and personal.”
Stverak stressed that credit unions will once again step up to support their members, just as they have during past shutdowns.
“But Congress should not put our nation’s servicemembers in a position where they are treated as pawns in broader policy debates,” Stverak said. “The men and women who defend this country should never have to wonder whether political dysfunction in Washington will affect their ability to provide for their families. DCUC continues to urge Congress to act swiftly to resolve this shutdown and ensure uninterrupted pay and stability for our nation’s military and Coast Guard families.”