The United States (US) government shut down at midnight on Wednesday after Senate leaders failed to agree on a stopgap funding plan. It is the first shutdown since 2019 and comes after both Republican and Democratic proposals were voted down.
The lapse in funding will suspend many federal services and put hundreds of thousands of workers on unpaid leave. Agencies providing essential services, including law enforcement, the military, and air traffic control, will remain operational but employees will work without pay until the government reopens.
The Senate rejected two competing measures on Tuesday evening. A Democratic bill that included more than $1 trillion in new healthcare spending failed by 47 votes to 53. A Republican bill that would have kept the government open until 21 November fell short of the 60 votes required, with 55 senators in support and 45 against.
“This was all unnecessary,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Republican of South Dakota, said after the votes. “We can reopen tomorrow, all it takes is a handful of Democrats to join Republicans to pass the clean, nonpartisan funding bill that’s in front of us.”
Democrats said the Republican plan ignored urgent problems with healthcare. “Republicans are plunging us into a government shutdown rather than fixing their healthcare crisis,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York. “They’ve got to sit down and negotiate with Democrats to come to a bill that both parties can support.”
The White House confirmed the shutdown after the failed votes. In a memo, the Office of Management and Budget said, “Affected agencies should now execute their plans for an orderly shutdown.”
President Donald Trump, speaking earlier in the day, suggested the lapse in funding could be used to permanently cut parts of the federal workforce. “We’ll be laying off a lot of people,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. He added that Democrats would “lose programs that they like” if they did not agree to Republican demands.
The president’s comments sparked concern among labor experts. Richard Painter, who served as chief ethics lawyer in the George W. Bush administration, said, “He is threatening federal workers with termination if there is a shutdown. Some of what he is threatening, he may be able to do, but much of it is not authorized by Congress, including firing federal workers with civil service job protection.”
For federal employees, the shutdown means uncertainty. Many will be sent home without pay, while others, such as border agents and Transportation Security Administration staff, must continue working without paychecks. During previous shutdowns, workers received back pay once funding resumed, but Trump has suggested this time could be different.
National parks, museums, and cultural sites are expected to close. Small businesses seeking federal loans will face delays, and the release of some economic data will be suspended. Social Security and food assistance will continue, though staffing shortages may affect service.
At the core of the dispute is healthcare. Democrats want to reverse cuts to Medicaid and extend subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. Republicans argue these issues should be debated in future negotiations, not attached to a temporary funding bill.
The failed votes showed signs of strain within party lines. Three senators who normally vote with Democrats, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, and independent Angus King of Maine, sided with Republicans on the stopgap measure. Cortez Masto explained her decision by pointing to economic pressures in her state. “I cannot support a costly shutdown that would hurt Nevada families,” she said in a statement.
Republicans are expected to hold further votes on Wednesday in hopes of securing the five additional Democratic votes needed to pass their proposal. Senate leaders say the chamber could remain in session through the weekend if no breakthrough is reached.
The United States has experienced 15 shutdowns since 1981. Most lasted only a few days, though the 35-day closure in 2018–19, also under Trump, was the longest on record. Lawmakers now face pressure to avoid a repeat.
“It’s a lot of work,” Senator Thom Tillis, Republican of North Carolina, said when asked about the path forward. “I don’t even know what the path is right now.”
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