The United States government has officially entered a shutdown after lawmakers and President Donald Trump failed to reach a last-minute funding deal before the midnight deadline on Wednesday. The impasse marks the first shutdown since the record-breaking 35-day closure nearly seven years ago.
Federal departments and agencies are now suspending operations, leaving hundreds of thousands of government workers uncertain about their jobs. The shutdown comes amid heated negotiations that collapsed over Democratic demands for billions in health care funding, particularly for the Affordable Care Act’s insurance program for low-income families.
President Trump placed the blame squarely on Democrats, accusing them of obstructing progress. Speaking from the Oval Office, he threatened to target Democratic priorities during the stoppage. “So we’d be laying off a lot of people that are going to be very affected. And they’re Democrats, they’re going to be Democrats,” Trump warned.
The Senate, requiring 60 votes to pass funding measures, failed to approve a stop-gap resolution passed earlier by the House of Representatives. Republicans had sought to extend funding until late November, but Democrats blocked the measure, demanding restoration of health care spending that Trump’s administration has been determined to roll back.
This latest political standoff reflects the increasingly common brinkmanship in Washington. While Congress often pushes budget negotiations to the edge, shutdowns have usually been avoided. This time, however, neither side was willing to compromise.
The shutdown also adds to uncertainty among federal employees already unsettled by earlier large-scale layoffs under Elon Musk’s controversial Department of Government Efficiency. Now, many fear prolonged furloughs and possible job losses if the shutdown drags on.
As talks remain stalled, the length of the shutdown is unclear. For now, essential services will continue, but much of the government’s daily operations remain frozen leaving millions of Americans bracing for the fallout.
