A federal government shutdown, the first since 2019, began Wednesday morning after Democrats and Republicans in the Senate failed to reach a last-minute agreement to extend the federal budget. The shutdown means that many non-essential government services will be discontinued, and hundreds of thousands of government workers will be furloughed or asked to work without pay until a budget is approved. With Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana delaying the reopening of the House of Representatives and President Donald Trump threatening to lay off federal workers, the shutdown shows no signs of ending soon.
Government workers furloughed or forced to work without pay
The federal government budget expired at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, triggering a shutdown of the federal government. Most federal services and operations considered non-essential will stop operating until Congress approves a new or extended budget. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that approximately 750,000 workers will be furloughed due to this shutdown. Overall, an estimated 4 million federal employees could go without pay for the duration of the shutdown, taking into account those sent home from work and those expected to work without pay. Federal employees will receive back pay once the shutdown ends, though federal contractors are not guaranteed to receive such compensation.
Some agencies and programs will remain open. Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid will continue to function during the shutdown. The IRS remains open for now, thanks to a special provision passed in 2022 to keep the agency funded for at least five days in the event of a shutdown. Federal courts also have funding for now, but they could run out of money if the shutdown continues. Meanwhile, agencies and services deemed essential continue to operate. However, many of their employees — including TSA workers, air traffic controllers, food inspectors and over a million military personnel — are expected to work without pay until the shutdown ends. National parks are also remaining open for now, but with most of their staff absent, raising possible security concerns.
Republicans and Democrats remain divided
The shutdown happened after the Senate failed to pass either of the two last-minute temporary funding extension bills. A GOP-backed measure, approved by the Republican-controlled House earlier this year to extend previous funding allocations, failed to pass the Senate on Tuesday. A rival Democratic bill that would increase and restore healthcare funding also failed to garner the 60 votes necessary to pass. The Senate is set to continue negotiations, but remains far apart. Democrats are banking on the GOP, which controls Congress and the White House, taking more of the blame for the shutdown. Republicans, meanwhile, can note that three Democratic senators voted for the Republican-proposed bill, indicating cracks in the Senate Democratic caucus that could grow as the shutdown continues. The House of Representatives remains in recess until at least Oct. 7, a move by Johnson that some are interpreting as a tactic for delaying the swearing-in of a new Democratic congresswoman and a potential vote on releasing the so-called “Epstein files,” which Trump has opposed making public.
Meanwhile, Trump remains a wild card in continuing negotiations. After having previously blown off Democrats looking to negotiate the budget, Trump hosted congressional leaders of both parties for talks at the White House on Monday, but then mocked Democratic leaders on social media with a racist, AI-generated video after the meeting. He has threatened mass layoffs of federal workers during the shutdown, which would go against past norms but align with the administration’s trend of reducing the federal workforce.
With Republicans and Democrats divided on how to move forward and Trump injecting further chaos into the process, it’s unclear how long it will take for both parties to reach a deal that will garner enough support to pass Congress. Until that happens, millions of federal workers remain negatively impacted by the shutdown, with no clear end in sight for the political impasse that has left workers around the United States without pay and services disrupted across the country.