The US federal government partially shut down on October 1, 2025, after lawmakers disagreed on a funding plan for the new fiscal year. The federal fiscal year starts on October 1. So, September 30 is the last day for Congress to pass a budget — or at least approve short-term funds to keep the government running.
This shutdown occurred because lawmakers could not agree on how to allocate tax dollars. One major point of debate was healthcare. Democrats wanted to extend some federal health tax credits that expire at the end of 2025. They also wanted to reverse the cuts made to healthcare programs for low-income people in July 2025.
Republicans, meanwhile, wanted to pass a short-term bill to cover only government expenses. They argued that healthcare could be dealt with later. Both sides tried to pass a temporary bill. Unfortunately, neither got enough votes, leading to the shutdown.
What happens now?
About 750,000 federal workers have been temporarily laid-off. They will not receive pay until funding is restored. Many other employees must work but will not be paid immediately. As a result, while some government services will continue, others will be slowed down or stopped.
The services that do continue are considered essential. These include the military, police, and national security. Agencies such as border protection and air traffic control will also keep running. Programs like Social Security and Medicare will remain unaffected.
Other government programs are running at reduced capacity. For example, parts of the Department of Education are closed. This will affect programs for schools and students. The Department of Commerce, which collects important data about the economy, is also operating with fewer staff. National parks will remain open, but visitor centers and some facilities may be closed. Travelers could experience delays because fewer people are working at transportation agencies.
This is not the first time US lawmakers have been unable to agree on funding. Since 1976, there have been more than 20 government shutdowns. The longest lasted 35 days, from late 2018 to early 2019. The length of the 2025 shutdown is unclear. It will depend on how quickly lawmakers can reach a compromise. Hopefully, that will happen soon so government workers can return to work.
Resources: CBSnews.com, Wikipedia.org, Reuters.com, NPR.org