The Senate approved a $1.2 trillion funding measure on Friday to sustain most federal operations until the end of September, yet a partial government shutdown remains unavoidable and could extend through the weekend. Funding for 78% of federal agencies will expire at midnight Saturday, even after an agreement between Senate Democrats and the White House sought to prevent the disruption.
This agreement isolates funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which manages federal law enforcement involved in the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts, from a six-bill package previously passed by the House. The legislation passed the Senate with a 71-29 vote. However, with the House adjourned until Monday, it cannot act on the Senate’s modifications to the minibus package before the deadline hits.
Limited Effects of the Weekend Shutdown
The partial shutdown’s consequences should remain minimal over the weekend. Agencies such as Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, Interior, Energy, Justice, and Commerce already secure full-year funding. In contrast, the Pentagon, along with Labor, Treasury, Health and Human Services, Education, Housing and Urban Development, and State departments, face funding interruptions. This lapse echoes the previous 43-day shutdown, the longest on record.
Context from Recent Events and Negotiations
Passage of the House’s original bill faced hurdles following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis. Certain lawmakers insisted on linking DHS funding to curbs on federal law enforcement procedures. The resulting bipartisan deal, supported by Senate leadership and President Trump, grants DHS two weeks of funding as discussions continue on constraints for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) operations. The remaining five spending bills secure financing through September’s close.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) advocates for the DHS funding to incorporate requirements like ICE agents operating without masks and with body cameras activated, stricter warrant protocols, a standardized code of conduct for agents, and an end to roving patrols targeting deportees.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) delayed the revised bill from Thursday evening into Friday morning, calling the compromise a poor arrangement. He expressed frustration over his exclusion from White House discussions with Schumer. “The White House is talking to Schumer, great. Well, somebody needs to talk to me. I worked too hard to get here,” Graham stated to reporters. “I’m a senator. I like President Trump a lot — he didn’t negotiate with me. When we have this debate two weeks from now about what’s the answer to DHS, I want a seat at the table, I want a vote.”
President Trump’s Call for Unity
On Thursday, President Trump pressed Congress to avoid a shutdown. In a Truth Social post, he declared, “The only thing that can slow our Country down is another long and damaging Government Shutdown. I am working hard with Congress to ensure that we are able to fully fund the Government, without delay.” He further urged, “Hopefully, both Republicans and Democrats will give a very much needed Bipartisan ‘YES’ Vote.”
