- the shutdown is expected to be short-lived, with the House set to return from a week-long recess on Monday
- This marks the second time Congress has failed to fund the government since Trump returned to office last year
- The controversy comes as Trump has signaled adjustments to his administration’s deportation policies
The US government entered a partial shutdown on Saturday as Congress awaited approval of a funding deal brokered by President Donald Trump with Democratic leaders, following national outrage over the killing of a US citizen by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that the shutdown is expected to be short-lived, with the House set to return from a week-long recess on Monday.
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President Trump has voiced full support for the spending package, and most federal employees working weekends such as military personnel and air traffic controllers are considered essential and will continue to work.
This marks the second time Congress has failed to fund the government since Trump returned to office last year.
A 43-day shutdown in the autumn, the longest in US history, disrupted food aid for millions, grounded thousands of flights, and left federal workers unpaid for over a month
The current shutdown is far more limited. Several key agencies, including the Department of Agriculture, national parks, veterans’ services, and the Justice Department, already have funding in place through the federal fiscal year ending September 30. As a result, programs like food stamps will not be affected.
Agencies impacted by the shutdown—including the Treasury, Defense, Homeland Security, Transportation, Health and Human Services, and Labor Departments will enter the formal shutdown process, according to a memo from the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
“It is our hope that this lapse will be short,” OMB Director Russ Vought said, adding that the administration is ready to reopen the government as soon as the president signs the funding bill. If the House passes the legislation on Monday, federal operations could resume the same day
The short-term shutdown stems from a dispute over the death of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, where Democrats demanded restrictions on Border Patrol enforcement before renewing funding for the Homeland Security Department.
Among the measures sought are requirements for body cameras, judicial warrants, prohibitions on masked agents, and limits on broad immigration sweeps.
Trump and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer reached a deal on Thursday to fund Homeland Security for two weeks while negotiations continue, with funding for the rest of the government secured through September 30. The Senate approved the agreement on Friday.
The controversy comes as Trump has signaled adjustments to his administration’s deportation policies, which have grown unpopular with voters and could influence the Republican Party’s standing in the upcoming midterm elections.
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