With the January 30 deadline looming for Congress to pass essential funding bills, President Donald Trump has expressed concerns about the possibility of another government shutdown. During an interview with Fox Business on the sidelines of the Davos meeting, Trump suggested that the deadlock in Congress might lead to a shutdown instigated by disagreements over appropriations.

"I think we have a problem, because I think we’re going to probably end up in another Democrat shutdown," Trump stated, referencing the financial and operational strains caused by the previous shutdown that began last October. "The shutdown cost us a lot, and I think they’ll probably do it again, that’s my feeling. We’ll see what happens," he added.

As the clock ticks down, lawmakers are scrambling to secure agreements on the 12 annual appropriations bills required to fund the government fully and avert a shutdown. Already, six of these bills have been successfully passed, which means that only specific federal agencies would be affected if a new funding agreement is not reached.

A hopeful sign emerged earlier this week when House leaders announced plans for a vote on a bipartisan compromise, which proposes $1.2 trillion in funding for various agencies including the Homeland Security and Defense departments, along with allocating $10 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through the end of the fiscal year in September. This proposal, however, has faced criticism from many Democrats, particularly concerning the provisions related to ICE funding, though it is not expected to derail the passage of the funding bills.

The memory of the last government shutdown, which lasted a historic 43 days starting from October 1, 2025, still looms large. It marked the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, significantly affecting government operations and services nationwide.

As the deadline approaches, all eyes are on Congress to see whether a consensus can be reached or if President Trump's predictions of another shutdown will indeed come to pass. The outcome will significantly impact not only federal agencies but also millions of Americans dependent on government services.