United States federal government has shut down again after lawmakers in Congress failed to pass the necessary funding bills before the deadline, triggering a lapse in appropriations for key parts of the federal budget.
At 12:01 a.m. on January 31, 2026, funding expired for roughly half of the federal departments after a last-minute spending agreement could not be finalized in the House of Representatives — even though the Senate had approved a revised package earlier.
As a result, hundreds of thousands of non-essential federal workers are being furloughed or asked to work without pay, and many government services, including national parks and regulatory offices, are expected to be disrupted until a funding deal is reached. Essential operations — such as national security, air traffic control, and emergency response — will continue, albeit under constrained circumstances.
Congressional leaders from both parties say negotiations are ongoing to restore full government operations, but no timeline has been established for ending the shutdown. The current standoff follows intense disagreement over how to fund agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security, with lawmakers unable to agree on the final details before the deadline.
This marks the latest fiscal impasse for the U.S. government, coming not long after a prolonged budget battle in late 2025 that also stalled federal funding and underscored deep partisan divisions in Congress.
