US government officially shuts down for the first time in almost seven years

Washington: The US federal government officially shut down on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, after Congress failed to pass a funding bill before midnight. The shutdown resulted from a deadlock between Democrats and the Republican-controlled Senate and House of Representatives over the terms of the government funding extension. The GOP had proposed a plan to extend funding for federal departments through November 21, 2025, but Democrats refused to support it without considerable concessions related primarily to healthcare policy. Democrats sought to extend expanded Obamacare subsidies and reverse Medicaid reforms, demands that the Republicans rejected as unrelated to the immediate funding issue. The Senate failed to advance either party’s bill due to a lack of the required 60-vote majority, triggering the shutdown.

As reported by The Guardian, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer criticised Republicans, saying, “Republicans are plunging America into a shutdown, rejecting bipartisan talks, pushing a partisan bill and risking America’s healthcare.” The legislative impasse has left hundreds of thousands of federal workers either furloughed without pay or working without pay, while essential government functions continue operating amid uncertainty about when funding will be restored.

The shutdown is the first since 2019 and could impact a wide range of services, including military pay, air traffic control, veterans' programs, small business loans, and food assistance. Some programs, such as the U.S. Postal Service and certain food aid, operate with separate funding and will continue.

Both parties have blamed each other for the impasse, with Republicans insisting that Democrats must drop policy conditions to pass the funding bill, while Democrats argue these policy issues are critical and must be part of any deal. President Donald Trump held a last-ditch meeting with congressional leaders, but no breakthrough was reached.

The Senate is scheduled to reconvene with plans to continue voting on proposed funding measures until a resolution is found. Meanwhile, the uncertainty has left government operations and federal workers in limbo as the shutdown continues.