politico-wire US Government Partially Shuts Down over Homeland Security Funding Dispute
The US government experienced a partial shutdown on Saturday, January 31, 2026, due to a standoff in Congress over new restrictions on federal agents involved in homeland security. The Democratic senators refused to vote for a bill authorizing continued spending by the Department of Homeland Security. The deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, who were both US citizens, fueled the minority party's opposition to the bill.