The US Congress reconvenes on September 2, with less than a month left to secure funding for federal agencies and avert a partial government shutdown.
Congress reconvenes on September 2, with less than a month to tackle one of its most important tasks: funding federal agencies and averting a partial government shutdown, something the legislature has struggled with repeatedly in recent years.
Deep political divisions have intensified in the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term.
Democrats are angry about the government’s decision not to spend some funds that had been approved under previous bipartisan agreements, along with the House passing a tax cut bill in July 2025 that independent experts warn could cause more than 10 million low-income Americans to lose their health insurance.
Congress needs to agree on about $1.8 trillion in discretionary spending from the $7 trillion federal budget. Since 1981, the U.S. has experienced 14 partial government shutdowns, most lasting just a day or two. The most recent one lasted 34 days from late 2018 to early 2019, during Trump’s first term.
Currently, Republicans hold 219 seats to Democrats’ 212 in the House, and hold a 53-47 advantage in the Senate. However, most bills require a minimum of 60 votes to pass, meaning Republicans need the support of at least seven Democratic senators.
In July 2025, before Republicans passed Trump’s proposal to cut $9 billion in foreign aid and public-media funding, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer warned against expecting Democrats to “play it safe” in the appropriations process, since the administration had already cut funding that Congress had already approved.
The Democratic strategy this time around is unclear, but party leaders have offered to meet with Republicans to discuss the budget deadline. Some lawmakers want a commitment that Republicans will not unilaterally cut spending if the administration makes further proposals.
The federal debt currently stands at $37.25 trillion, according to the Treasury Department. That number has continued to rise under both Republicans and Democrats, as Congress has repeatedly allowed the government to spend more than it takes in.