The United States government went into partial shutdown on October 1, 2025, after Congress could not approve the bills for funding for the upcoming year. At the core of the deadlock are differences regarding the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid funding, and spending cuts that have been rejected in the Senate because of the 60-vote requirement. As a result, some estimated 900,000 federal workers have been put on hold from working and another 700,000 are employed but unpaid. In contrast to previous shutdowns, permanent layoffs have begun at certain agencies.
Core functions like IRS activities, national parks, public health inspections, and federal nutrition programs like WIC have been reduced or eliminated. The closure is affecting housing sales with the suspension of the National Flood Insurance Program, and the military are being paid out of redirected defense funds. The economic toll is increasing, as the White House indicates there will be a $15 billion weekly subtraction from GDP. As the shutdown heads into its third week, millions of Americans; most notably low-wage workers and federal contract employees see delayed wages, mounting debt, and further uncertainty, with legislators in political deadlock with no visible solution in sight.
