Inside the US Partial Shutdown: Who’s Affected, Who Isn’t, and Why It May End Soon

The United States is currently experiencing a partial federal government shutdown that began in the early hours of Saturday after lawmakers failed to pass full funding legislation for all government agencies by the deadline. Although this lapse in appropriations is temporary and limited in scope, it has raised concern in Washington and beyond about possible disruptions in federal operations — particularly involving the Pentagon, Department of Homeland Security, and other key departments.

Unlike a full government shutdown — such as the one that extended for 43 days last year — this stoppage is partial, targeted, and likely short-lived. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, has expressed confidence that Congress will have a revised funding package ready for consideration by Tuesday, which could end the shutdown quickly and prevent major impacts.

Why a Short Shutdown Happened

The current shutdown stems from a political impasse over the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill. Earlier this year, federal agents were involved in two separate incidents in Minneapolis that resulted in the deaths of U.S. citizens, prompting U.S. Senate Democrats to demand major reforms to immigration enforcement policies in exchange for allowing DHS funding to proceed. Their proposals included stronger oversight and accountability measures for immigration agents — such as body camera requirements and limits on certain enforcement practices.

Although the Senate later agreed on a compromise that would separate DHS funding from the broader appropriations package and provide a two-week continuing resolution for the department while talks continue, the House of Representatives was not in session in time to pass it before the midnight deadline. As a result, funding lapsed for agencies that had not yet been fully funded, triggering the partial shutdown.

What the Shutdown Actually Covers

A partial shutdown does not mean that most federal services halt entirely, but rather that only certain parts of the federal government are without current funding:

• Partially or fully affected: Agencies that have not received final appropriations, including the Pentagon (Department of Defense), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Department of Transportation, have begun shutdown procedures, which may include furloughing staff or having employees work without pay until funding is restored.

• Still operating: Some large parts of the government are unaffected because their funding was already approved earlier in the fiscal year. These include departments such as Agriculture (which administers nutrition assistance programs like SNAP) and programs that were fully funded through the end of the fiscal year.
  

In addition, essential services such as Social Security payments and Medicare benefits typically continue without interruption during shutdowns because they are funded through separate trust mechanisms, not annual appropriations.

Important Distinctions from a Full Shutdown

The key difference between this partial shutdown and a full one lies in scope and duration:

1. Scope: A full shutdown occurs when all federal agencies and programs lose funding at once, forcing widespread furloughs and service suspensions. In contrast, this partial shutdown affects only a subset of agencies because Congress has already passed six of the 12 annual appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2026.

2. Duration: Lawmakers are working under a tight timeline to pass a temporary fix that would end the funding lapse within days. House Speaker Johnson has publicly stated that he aims to have an updated package considered “at least by Tuesday,” which would quickly return most operations to normal.

3. Reduced public disruption: Because this is not a full funding lapse, major social safety net programs like SNAP and WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) remain fully funded and unaffected. This contrasts sharply with past shutdowns that forced delays or interruptions in benefit distributions or public services.
   

How the Political Debate Is Unfolding

The underlying political standoff reflects deeper tensions within Congress and between the parties. Republicans, holding the House majority, are pushing a spending package that would fund most of government while delaying further debate on immigration enforcement reforms. Meanwhile, Democrats have indicated they will continue to withhold support for DHS funding until they achieve meaningful concessions on policies governing immigration agency conduct.

President Donald Trump’s administration played a central role in negotiating the Senate compromise to separate DHS funding, and has signaled support for the stopgap arrangement. However, disagreements remain over how to balance maintaining federal operations with advancing policy goals.

What Happens Next

If Congress passes the revised funding package and the House approves the Senate’s version before Tuesday, the partial shutdown will likely end quickly, and federal agencies now constrained by the lapse will resume normal operations. Federal employees who were furloughed or required to work without pay will typically receive back pay retroactively once appropriations are restored.

However, if negotiations continue beyond Tuesday, there could be short-term disruptions for certain services, including potential furloughs or staffing limitations in affected departments. Lawmakers on both sides have emphasized their desire to avoid a prolonged shutdown, in contrast to the much longer closure that occurred in late 2025.