"A week ago, Democrats and Republicans in the Senate seemed on track to pass a big batch of appropriations bills and avoid a government shutdown when stopgap spending authority ran out on January 30. Then the killing of Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis changed the atmosphere dramatically. Democrats seized on pending Department of Homeland Security funding as a way to dramatize the events in Minneapolis and force Republicans to agree to reforms of ICE and other immigration enforcement agencies."
"This would only be a "partial" shutdown, since six of 12 appropriations bills have already cleared both the House and Senate. But the remaining bills, which have cleared the House but not the Senate, cover more than half of federal personnel and operations, as they include the giant Departments of Defense and Health and Human Services, along with DHS. Here's the latest news on efforts to avoid, or at least shorten, a 2026 government shutdown."
"At least a brief lapse in funding is a 99 percent probability at this point. The House out of session until Monday. The only thing the Senate can do to avoid at least a brief shutdown is pass the 6-bill appropriations package exactly as it came over from the other chamber. Democrats have made it clear they won't supply the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster on the package."
Senate momentum to pass appropriations stalled after Border Patrol agents killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, prompting Democrats to use Department of Homeland Security funding to demand ICE and immigration enforcement reforms. The shift raised the likelihood of a government shutdown beginning at midnight Friday. Six of 12 appropriations bills have cleared both chambers, but the remaining House-passed bills cover Defense, Health and Human Services, and DHS, accounting for more than half of federal personnel and operations. The Senate can avoid even a brief lapse only by approving the six-bill package as received, but Democrats refuse to provide 60 votes to overcome a filibuster.
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