Senate Democrats are signaling that another government shutdown could happen in late January as tensions escalate with President Donald Trump over recent White House actions that Democrats say demand a strong response from Congress.

Before leaving Washington for the Christmas recess, Senate Democrats walked away from a potential deal to fund much of the federal government, including the departments of War, Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services — agencies accounting for roughly two-thirds of discretionary spending.

Democrats pointed to Trump's threat to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, as the key reason they refused to advance a five-bill appropriations package.

Had the measure passed, Congress could have funded up to 90% of the government through September, significantly reducing the risk of a shutdown. Instead, lawmakers left town without even agreeing on how amendments would be considered when they return, delaying action until at least early January.

Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., who participated in negotiations, said Democrats are deliberately keeping the threat of a shutdown alive.

"They want some leverage for the end of January," Hoeven told The Hill, adding Democrats appeared unwilling to move forward even if the climate research issue had not escalated.

Senate Democrats are not ruling out using the Jan. 30 funding deadline as leverage to force key concessions from the White House.

"I'm not going to speculate," Sen. Richard Blumenthal told The Hill. The Connecticut Democrat said his party wants to pass appropriations but will wait to see how events play out.

One Democrat senator warned that failing to pass the five-bill package was an indication that the likelihood of another shutdown is growing.

Another said the White House appears to be provoking a confrontation, citing budget director Russell Vought's announcement that the administration would dismantle the atmospheric research center.

"If you're trying to get something done, you don't throw a stick of dynamite into the process," the lawmaker said. "The president's people shouldn't have thrown a stick of dynamite into the process."

"If I was [Senate Appropriations Committee Chair] Sen. [Susan] Collins [R-Maine,] and [Senate Majority Leader] Sen. [John] Thune [R-S.D.], I'd be furious at the president, because he just threw a grenade into the middle of the process," the senator said.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said the White House's move damaged trust among Democrats.

"It was pretty clear that kind of the trust [was impacted]. Like, if they're going to do this right on the eve of advancing appropriations, what else should be worried about?" she said.

A Republican senator also sounded the alarm about the possibility of another shutdown.

"If we don't pass it, then we're going to walk into a potential government shutdown," the lawmaker told The Hill. "If we pass this, we will have funded 87% of the government."

Democrats also cited other unresolved issues that need to be addressed before they commit to a funding deal, including health insurance subsidies, foreign policy concerns, and transparency demands tied to the Epstein files.

Meanwhile, Thune suggested Congress may resort to a yearlong continuing resolution — a move Democrats say could reignite another partisan standoff early next year.