On January 29 local time, the U.S. Senate voted on a government funding bill. Since the number of votes in favor did not reach the required threshold, the bill failed to pass. The possibility of the U.S. federal government partially "shutting down" again at the end of this month due to depleted funds has greatly increased.
This is a typical event reflecting the operation mechanism of the American political system. The U.S. Senate failed to pass a key government funding bill, which aimed to provide funding for certain federal government departments to avoid their shutdown.
Since existing funds are about to be exhausted on January 19 and February 2 (in two batches for different departments), if Congress does not pass a new funding bill or a temporary funding resolution before then, relevant federal government agencies will be forced to partially shut down due to lack of funds. This would lead to some federal employees being furloughed or working without pay, and many non-core government services would be suspended.
From October 1 to November 12, 2025, the U.S. government was shut down for 43 days, setting a historical record. Two months later, parts of the government face the risk of shutdown again.
Currently, congressional leaders (especially the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader) are intensifying negotiations to amend the bill's content to secure enough support votes.
The most likely outcome is to first pass a short-term continuing resolution, extending the current funding level for a period of time (a few days to a few weeks) to gain more time for final negotiations.
If an agreement is not reached before the deadline, some agencies will begin the shutdown process. This would have real impacts on government services, employees' families, and the economy, and such pressure sometimes forces lawmakers to accelerate compromises.
In summary, this is not a rare event but a cyclical phenomenon under the U.S. separation of powers and partisan politics. It shows that maintaining basic government operations can sometimes become very difficult in a highly polarized environment. In the coming days, the congressional negotiations will be the focus of attention.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1855674754870272/
Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.