Trump warns of US government shutdown by September 30

U.S. President Donald Trump warned on July 22 that the federal government is likely to face a shutdown on September 30, when current funding is set to expire, underscoring mounting time pressure on lawmakers to reach a budget agreement.

His remarks came after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a stopgap funding measure designed to keep the government operating through early December. The legislation now moves to the U.S. Senate for consideration.

In theory, lawmakers have more than 50 working days — excluding weekends — before the September 30 deadline to negotiate and approve a full-year budget. However, the legislative calendar significantly reduces that window.

The House is set to begin its August recess on July 23, with members scheduled to return on August 31. In addition, the chamber will not be in session from September 7 to September 11, a period that includes both Labour Day and the start of Rosh Hashanah. As a result, the House will have roughly 16 legislative days in session before the funding deadline.

The Senate’s schedule is similarly constrained. Senators are due to begin their recess on August 7 and are expected to reconvene on September 14, further limiting the overlap in working days between the two chambers.

Taken together, both chambers will be in session simultaneously for just 11 days between late July and September 30, sharply narrowing the timeframe for passing funding legislation.

The timeline could tighten further if the Senate amends the House-passed bill, as any changes would require another vote in the House.

The standoff raises the risk of a government shutdown, a scenario with which Americans have recent experience. In October 2025, a failure by Congress to pass a funding bill triggered a record 43-day shutdown beginning on October 1. Although a deal was reached in mid-November, a partial shutdown persisted into April, disrupting operations at the Department of Homeland Security and causing significant delays and confusion at airports nationwide.

By Tamilla Hasanova