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A partial government shutdown has begun, affecting agencies including the Pentagon. While essential services will operate, some employees may not be paid. Following recent shootings, Democrats demand changes to Homeland Security funding.
The partial government shutdown that began on Saturday is very different from last fall’s record-long closure which lasted 43 days.
Essential operations will not stop, but employees may go unpaid if the standoff continues, and some could be placed on furlough.
Impact
The temporary lapse in government funding impacts the Pentagon as well as agencies like the Department of Transportation and the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Experts note that FEMA should still have sufficient funds to respond to the ongoing winter storm affecting large parts of the country. The agency has roughly USD 7 to 8 billion set aside for disaster response and recovery, along with the personnel who manage these efforts. However, a prolonged shutdown could strain these resources, particularly if new emergencies arise.
Other FEMA functions, such as issuing or renewing policies under the National Flood Insurance Programme, would be suspended. One of the pending spending bills covers the Department of Transportation, which oversees the air traffic control system and its staff.
Air traffic controllers would continue to work, but they would not receive pay until Congress passes the necessary funding legislation.
Meanwhile, the bill that ended the previous shutdown provided funding for the Department of Agriculture and its programmes through the end of the fiscal year on September 30. As a result, full benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme (SNAP) continue. SNAP serves roughly 42 million people, about one in eight Americans, living in lower-income households, providing an average of around USD 190 per person each month.
Another major programme fully funded for the year is WIC, the federal supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children, which offers nutritious food and guidance on healthy eating for pregnant women and young children.
What exactly happened?
The process of approving government funding had been proceeding smoothly, with lawmakers in both the House and Senate reaching bipartisan agreements. However, the recent shootings in Minneapolis, in which federal agents killed two US citizens, Alex Pretti and Renée Good, disrupted that momentum.
In response to Pretti’s death, Democrats demanded that the funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and related agencies be removed from the broader package approved by the House. They insisted that any DHS funding include reforms to immigration enforcement, such as a formal code of conduct for federal agents and a requirement that officers clearly display identification.
To prevent another shutdown, President Donald Trump’s administration negotiated a temporary deal with Democrats to maintain DHS funding at current levels for two weeks while discussions continued.
Although the Senate approved the five-bill funding package on Friday, it still requires House approval before becoming law. Since the House will not reconvene until Monday, funding will run out for parts of the government at least for a short time.
What next?
When lawmakers return on Monday, the House plans to move quickly to pass funding legislation, which would bring the shutdown to an end. Congress has already approved half of this year’s funding bills, allowing many key federal agencies and programs to keep operating through September. Programmes like nutrition assistance, for instance, are expected to remain unaffected.
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