The US Senate failed to advance an appropriations bill, and the federal government is once again facing a shutdown crisis.

News Brief

On January 29th, the U.S. Senate rejected a government funding bill that the House had already approved, inching federal agencies closer to yet another shutdown. With a 55-45 tally—short of the required 60 votes—the measure failed to advance. Every Democrat voted against it, joined by a handful of Republicans. Since funding for several federal departments was due to lapse on January 30th, lawmakers scrambled to negotiate a compromise. Senate Majority Leader John Thune proposed separating Homeland Security funding from the broader package. This crisis stemmed from a fatal immigration raid in Minneapolis earlier that month, where Homeland Security officers killed two American citizens. Following that tragedy, Senate Democrats refused to support any bill allocating funds to Homeland Security—a stance that, many believe, effectively derailed negotiations and left the government on the brink of partial closure.

PANews reported on January 30th that, according to Xinhua News Agency, the U.S. Senate failed to advance the government funding bill, which had already passed the House of Representatives, in a procedural vote on the 29th, putting the U.S. federal government at risk of a partial shutdown again. The Senate voted 55-45, failing to reach the 60 votes needed for the bill to advance. All Democratic senators voted against the bill, and several Republican senators also voted against it. Funding for several U.S. federal departments will run out on January 30th. Currently, lawmakers from both parties are still engaged in tense negotiations to avoid a shutdown. Senate Majority Leader John Thune previously stated that he was considering potentially separating funding allocated to the Department of Homeland Security from the funding bill for separate discussion.

Earlier this month, law enforcement officers from agencies under the Department of Homeland Security shot and killed two U.S. citizens during an operation targeting undocumented immigrants in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Senate Democrats subsequently indicated they would vote against a government funding bill that included grants to the Department of Homeland Security.