US Senate approves spending deal, but short government shutdown likely

WASHINGTON, 31st January, 2026 (WAM) — The US government was headed toward a partial shutdown on Friday, as Congress appeared unlikely to approve a deal that would keep a wide swath of operations funded past a midnight deadline.

After hours of delay, the US Senate passed the spending package by a bipartisan vote of 71 to 29. But the House of Representatives is out of town and not expected to take up the measure until Monday.

That means a shutdown is all but certain to begin at 12:01 am Eastern time Saturday (0501 GMT).

Lawmakers from both parties have been working to ensure a debate over immigration enforcement does not disrupt other government operations.

The deal approved by the Senate would separate funding for the Department of Homeland Security from the broader funding package, allowing lawmakers to approve spending for agencies like the Pentagon and the Department of Labour while they consider new restrictions on federal immigration agents.