On Oct. 1, 2025, the United States federal government shut down after failing to resolve a budgeting dispute between the Republican and Democratic political parties. For the first time in seven years, some U.S. government services are temporarily suspended. About 40% of the federal workforce is currently or soon to be put on unpaid leave.
The shutdown occurred because Republicans and Democrats were unable to agree on details to pass a bill funding government services following October. To make a law under the U.S. legislative system, the branches of government have to all agree to pass it. Currently, the Republicans control both assemblies of Congress; however, in the Senate they are in need of 60 votes needed to pass the funding bill, which gives Democrats the opportunity for negotiating the opposite opinion. Democrats want an extension of expiring tax credits which will make health insurance cheaper for millions of Americans, as well as the reversal of President Donald Trump’s cuts to Medicaid. Medicaid is a government healthcare program which is used by many elderly, disabled and low-income people in the nation.
However, this does not mean that all aspects of the government are shut down, as all federal workers are deemed as essential or not essential by each federal agency. The criteria to be considered essential usually entails that their job is authorized by law or relates to national security and public safety such as law enforcement or active-duty military. Employees who are considered essential are still required to go to work, however they may not be paid until the government reopens. All other employees who are not considered essential are furloughed and will receive their back pay after the shutdown ends. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that about 750,000 federal employees would be furloughed each day of the shutdown. Trump and members of Congress will continue to receive paychecks throughout the shutdown as their pay is constitutionally protected. Services including air traffic control, Social Security, nutrition aid, national park sites and Federal Emergency Management remain available throughout the shutdown yet may face severe delay or varied inconveniences.
The last government shut down occurred in December of 2018, also under the presidency of Trump. Similar to the shutdown of 2025, Congress was unable to reach an agreement on the federal budget which resulted in the federal government to go under a shutdown. This ultimately impacted nine major federal departments; Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, the Interior, Justice, State, Transportation and Treasury. This shutdown lasted until January 2019, making it the longest shutdown in history as it lasted for 35 days.
Since 1981, there have been a total of 10 shutdowns due to unsolved funding bills lasting three days or fewer, however there have been a handful of shutdowns which have lasted for over two weeks. Therefore, the duration of the government shutdown cannot be exactly determined due to the fact that they vary depending on when Congress passes and the President signs the bills needed to fund the government.
Considering that there is no specific way to predict how long the shutdown will last, as the days of the government’s pause increase, the more federal workers and agencies are affected each day.
