OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
2:55 PM – Saturday, January 31, 2026
The federal government is shutting down for the second time in six months after Congress failed to pass certain funding bills by the January 30th deadline — but only partially, this time.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) notified federal agencies in a memo on Friday to begin preparing for a shutdown as early as just after midnight on January 31st.
“The Administration will continue working with the Congress to address recently raised concerns to complete appropriations for Fiscal Year 2026. It is our hope that this lapse will be short. Agencies should continue to closely monitor developments, and OMB will provide further guidance as appropriate,” OMB Director Russell T. Vought wrote.
Congress was able to fully fund certain government agencies, including the Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Department of Commerce (DOC), the Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of the Interior (DOI), the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The Legislative Branch will also remain funded.
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS), mandatory benefit programs (such as Social Security and Medicaid), and veterans’ benefits will be unaffected, as they are funded outside of annual appropriations from Congress.
Funding will lapse for the Pentagon, as well as agencies including the Transportation Department. Several Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) operations will also pause, as they did during the 43-day shutdown in 2025.
One of the bills awaiting passage in the House would also cover the Department of Transportation (DOT), meaning there may be disruptions in air travel.
The shutdown will also have a significant effect on the State Department, though a memo sent to the department said that 18,946 of the department’s 27,206 American employees are exempted from potential furloughs if the shutdown stretches on.
However, one major difference between the current shutdown and the last one, which was the longest in American History, is that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will not be affected.
Many of the potential effects of the shutdown remain unclear and will not be felt until at least Monday.
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