US Government shuts down, 1st Since 2018

mangaloretoday.com

Washington, October 1, 2025: The US government has officially shut down after Democrats blocked a Republican stopgap funding package that didn’t address their demands. As part of the measure, the government funding expired as the clock struck midnight, and no one inside the Capitol knows what will happen next.

This is the first government shutdown in over six years, when in 2018-2019 funding for the government lapsed for five weeks, including over New Year’s Day, during Trump’s first term.

A shutdown would see nonessential operations grind to a halt, leaving hundreds of thousands of civil servants temporarily without pay, and payment of many social safety net benefits potentially disrupted.

Essential workers, including military personnel, will have to work without pay, while non-essential federal employees will be sent on furlough. Per nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates, as many as 750,000 federal workers could be temporarily furloughed, even if Trump doesn’t proceed with permanent dismissals.

The president raised the stakes in the fight, telling reporters Tuesday his administration may permanently fire "a lot" of federal workers in the event of a shutdown. The federal government typically temporarily furloughs non-essential workers during a funding lapse and later gives them back pay when the shutdown ends.

When a lapse in funding occurs, the law requires federal agencies to cease activity and furlough their "non-excepted" employees. "Excepted employees" include those who perform work to protect life and property. They stay on the job but don’t get paid until after the shutdown has ended.

Therefore, in-hospital medical care, border protection, law enforcement and air-traffic control are likely to continue during the stoppage. Social security and Medicare cheques will also be sent out, but benefit verification and card issuance could stop.

Government functions, like NASA’s space missions, President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and certain public health work at the Food and Drug Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture, would also continue during a shutdown.

But there could be travel delays if the congressional standoff drags on and unpaid workers stop showing up.