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Senators currently face a Friday deadline to pass a $1.3 trillion package of six spending bills, including defense, and to avoid a partial government shutdown.
As of Thursday afternoon, a partial shutdown over the weekend is likely due to a procedural snag.
Last week, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill to fund five federal agencies, including the Department of War. They approved separately funding for the Department of Homeland Security, then left on a scheduled recess.
The House bills were sent to the Senate as one spending measure.
The shooting death of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minnesota over the weekend resulted in Senate Democrats opposing the package and demanding policy changes be made to immigration enforcement.
Any change in the Senate to the funding bill will require a revote in the House.
Senators in both parties and Trump administration officials are seeking an off-ramp, including separating DHS funding from the other agencies. Nobody seems to want a repeat of the 43-day shutdown that occurred last year.
Without a resolution by Friday midnight, 78% of the government will be unfunded over the weekend.
Who would be impacted?
Veterans would not be impacted as the spending deal reached last November to reopen the government did include $133 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs and $20 billion for military construction.
Some states began messaging ahead of a possible partial shutdown.
In a Facebook post, Air Force Maj. Gen. Gent Welsh, the adjutant general of Washington, stated, “As was the case last Oct, I’m excepting 100% of our federal workforce again. Drill will happen this weekend. And nonstandard drills will happen during any shutdown if it drags on.
“Travel will likely be impacted as last time, so we’ll keep an eye on that. Relentlessly generating readiness and options for domestic and overseas missions is our #1 task and any shutdown won’t stop that,” he added.
Col. Richard F. Switzer, the commander of West Virginia Air Guard's 130th Airlift Wing, also posted an update on Facebook.
If the deadline is not met, “all 130th Airlift Wing employees — technicians and Active Guard Reserve members — will report for duty on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, to implement an orderly shutdown of activities,” reads the update.
“We urge Airmen who are attending military schools to follow the instructions of the schoolhouse if there is a lapse in funding. Although operations will be on an excepted basis only, drill will proceed as planned. Please consult your supervisors for additional information,” he adds.
-By Jennifer Hickey
