US GOVERNMENT TEMPORARILY SHUTS DOWN

WASHINGTON, Jan 31 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- The US government entered a temporary shutdown Saturday after no funding law was enacted, Anadolu Ajansi reported.

Despite the Senate passing a funding package Friday ahead of a midnight deadline, it needed the approval of the House of Representatives, which is not expected to return to Washington until Monday.

Senators voted 71-29 on the package, which includes five long-term appropriations bills, while extending funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for two weeks to allow negotiations on immigration enforcement.

After federal agents in the state of Minnesota fatally shot American citizen Alex Pretti -- the second killing by immigration enforcement officers this month -- Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said he and other Democrats would not back the package unless the appropriations measure that included money for the DHS was removed.

If the House passes the measure early next week, any disruption is expected to be minimal.

There is limited interest in Washington in repeating a lengthy shutdown like the one that stretched for 43 days late last year.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Friday that Democrats would "evaluate the spending legislation passed by the Senate on its merits and then decide how to proceed legislatively."

"The Trump administration must set forth an ironclad path that dramatically reforms ICE and other DHS agencies that the American people know have become lawless and heavy-handed.

"It is in the best interest of the country that this is done before the Congress reconvenes on Monday evening and legislation is brought to the House floor," Jeffries said in a statement.

The director of the Office of Management and Budget on Friday directed affected agencies -- including the defence, homeland security, state, treasury, labour, health and human services, education, transportation and housing and urban development departments -- whose funding will lapse at midnight, to begin preparing for a shutdown.

"As it is now clear that Congress will not complete its work before the expiration of appropriations, affected agencies should now execute plans for an orderly shutdown. Employees should report to work for their next regularly scheduled tour of duty to undertake orderly shutdown activities," Russ Vought said in a memo.

Vought said the Trump administration will continue to work with Congress to address recently raised concerns to complete appropriations for fiscal year 2026.

-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU