The United States is committing about $2 billion to back quantum‑computing firms, signaling a push to accelerate quantum development and post‑quantum cryptography as debates over Bitcoin security intensify.
A U.S. Homeland Security funding lapse began, with about 95% of TSA personnel deemed essential and continuing to work without pay while air-traffic controllers remain funded, raising the risk of longer security lines and potential travel delays as airlines plan for reduced screening capacity; travelers are advised to arrive early, check airport wait times, and pack carefully to avoid screening delays.
The Senate voted 71-29 to advance a funding bill that would keep most of the federal government funded through September, with a temporary extension for Homeland Security, preventing a partial shutdown over the weekend while the House prepares a vote. The deal comes amid negotiations on new immigration restrictions and tighter ICE oversight, with Democrats demanding meaningful reform before any DHS funding extension is approved."
The Senate advanced a two-week stopgap funding plan to avert a shutdown while negotiations over immigration enforcement reforms continue after Minnesota-related incidents; DHS funding would be extended temporarily, House action is delayed, and a Republican objection from Lindsey Graham muddies rapid passage as Democrats press for border-security reforms like body cameras and changes to warrant rules.
Trump and Senate Democrats announced a deal to fund most federal agencies through Sept. 30 with a two‑week extension for the Department of Homeland Security, buying time to negotiate immigration-enforcement policy changes; if approved, it could avert a shutdown, but a Friday deadline still risks a partial government closure as House lawmakers return and negotiations continue on policy concessions.
President Trump endorsed a Senate agreement to fund most of the federal government through the fiscal year, with the Department of Homeland Security funded separately by a two-week stopgap after Democrats insisted on removing DHS from the main package amid immigration incidents; the revised six-bill package would cover Defense, Treasury, State, HHS, Labor, HUD, Transportation, and Education while DHS funding is handled separately.
Trump and Schumer reportedly are close to a plan to fund Homeland Security separately from a wider six-bill package and possibly extend DHS funding briefly to avert a government shutdown, contingent on new limits on immigration enforcement; the NYT cites officials, though Reuters could not immediately verify the report.
With a Jan. 30 deadline looming, the U.S. government is headed for a partial shutdown as Senate Democrats oppose a House-passed, $1.2 trillion funding package that includes DHS funding, spurred by the deadly shooting of a U.S. citizen by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis; leaders say the DHS provisions must be stripped, and it’s unclear if the DHS portion can be separated to avert a shutdown, all while a winter storm complicates votes.
House Speaker Mike Johnson pushed a must-pass funding bill through the House to avert a government shutdown, while using procedural maneuvers to constrain the Senate: delaying a vote to block Trump’s Venezuela actions to force a 215-215 tie that kept the president in the driver’s seat and attaching an amendment that voided a DOJ-records provision the Senate had used against Trump—outcomes that prevented a war-powers rebuke but underscored Johnson’s ability to govern with a razor-thin majority.
The House is racing to complete multiple government funding bills before an imminent deadline, with Democrats opposing the Homeland Security package included in the measure as Speaker Mike Johnson pushes for progress.
The Senate cleared a three-bill funding package funding Justice, Interior, Commerce & Energy, the EPA, water programs and federal science through the end of the fiscal year, moving toward averting a new shutdown while a Treasury/State package awaits House action. Yet more than 75% of discretionary funding remains unfunded, including the Pentagon, leaving a heavy workload for bipartisan talks on remaining measures (Defense, Transportation–HUD, Labor–HHS–Education) and ongoing tensions over DHS funding and earmarks as lawmakers confront the Jan. 30 deadline.
House Republicans moved to allow floor votes on amendments to the latest government funding package, including a 20% cut to District of Columbia appeals court funding and elimination of two DC judges’ budgets, plus an amendment to defund the National Endowment for Democracy, as hard-liners press for more input before the Jan. 30 shutdown deadline. In a separate development, a GOP-backed labor bill collapsed on the House floor, underscoring internal divisions as the party navigates a fragile majority and competing policy priorities amid ongoing Capitol Hill debate.
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed key FY26 appropriations bills focusing on security, energy, and environmental stewardship, emphasizing bipartisan support, responsible legislating, and advancing the America First agenda, with ongoing work to complete full-year funding for the government.
Congress faces a tight deadline to pass funding bills by January 30 to avoid another government shutdown, with ongoing negotiations and conflicting demands among Republicans and Democrats, and limited time when Congress reconvenes.
The US government shutdown has ended, leading to the return of furloughed federal employees who will receive back pay, and the rescinding of layoffs, with agencies preparing for a backlog of work and ongoing funding until January 30, 2026.