Partnership for Public Service Statement on Likely Partial Government Shutdown 

January 30, 2026

The nonpartisan nonprofit Partnership for Public Service today issued the following statement from President and CEO Max Stier: 

“The impending partial government shutdown is a direct result of the misuse of government power and authority by the Trump administration, which led to an escalation in violence and the tragic loss of life in Minnesota in recent weeks. 

“As a coequal branch, Congress plays a critical role in curbing presidential overreach. However, across multiple administrations and under the control of both parties, the legislative branch has ceded far too much power to the executive branch and failed to assert its oversight authority. 

“While increased transparency and accountability is needed at the Department of Homeland Security, a government shutdown is not the best tool to achieve this outcome. Everyone loses in a shutdown, especially the American public and the federal employees who serve them. 

“Congress should have never found itself in this corner. Elected officials should not have needed to feel as though forcing a government shutdown, which will do real harm to millions of Americans, is the only way to demand DHS reform. 

“It is not too late for our legislators to do their jobs. Congress must take back the power given to it by the Constitution and begin rigorous oversight of the agencies and leadership involved in the senseless killings in Minnesota and over the executive branch more broadly. They also need to pass legislation to make government shutdowns a thing of the past, like the bills proposed in this Congress by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and others. 

“There are encouraging signs that members of Congress on both sides of the aisle recognize the need to reassert its authority and hold those in power accountable. We urge them to act swiftly so Americans are better served and protected.” 

The Partnership yesterday released new data from its Public Service Viewpoint Survey pointing to a profound loss of confidence among CBP and ICE respondents in the agencies’ political leadership.