Azernews.Az

Beginning January 31 at 09:00 Baku time, the U.S. federal government has partially shut down due to a lack of funding. Such shutdowns—commonly referred to as “shutdowns” in the United States—occur intermittently when Democrats and Republicans in Congress fail to reach an agreement on the federal budget.

Azernews reports that the U.S. Senate on January 30 approved a package of appropriations bills to fund most federal agencies through the end of the fiscal year, which concludes on September 30. The legislation covers key institutions, including the Pentagon, the State Department, as well as the Departments of Treasury, Labor, and Health, among others.

However, at the request of Democratic lawmakers, funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was removed from the package. As a result, the bills passed by the Senate must also be approved by the House of Representatives before being sent to President Donald Trump for signature.

The House is scheduled to resume work on February 2. If lawmakers approve the funding bills that day and the president signs them promptly, the shutdown could be resolved as early as February 2. Nonetheless, the possibility of further delays cannot be ruled out.

Democratic lawmakers have called for a reassessment of DHS funding following the death of a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis, Minnesota, who was fatally shot by a border service officer. Under the current proposal, DHS funding would be extended at existing levels for two weeks, while negotiations continue over reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

It is worth recalling that on November 12, 2025, President Trump signed legislation extending federal government funding through January 30, bringing an end to the longest shutdown in U.S. history on its 43rd day. Government operations had been halted on October 1 due to the absence of funding, following a failure by the ruling Republican Party and opposition Democrats to reach consensus in Congress, including over certain healthcare-related spending provisions. Both sides accused each other of triggering the shutdown and prolonging it for political purposes.