The United States government began a partial shutdown at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday after lawmakers and President Donald Trump failed to resolve a budget standoff, triggering the first federal work stoppage since the record 35-day shutdown nearly seven years ago.
The deadlock, driven by Democratic demands for expanded health care funding, will affect hundreds of thousands of federal employees and disrupt services across multiple agencies. Essential functions such as the military, Postal Service, Social Security, and food stamps will continue to operate.
Speaking at the White House, Trump said shutdowns could bring “a lot of good,” suggesting he would use the impasse to cut programs favored by Democrats. “So we’d be laying off a lot of people that are going to be very affected. And they’re Democrats, they’re going to be Democrats,” he told reporters.
Democrats and Republicans quickly traded blame for the funding lapse. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Republicans of refusing to protect health care access, calling the halt a “Republican shutdown.” Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson argued Democrats were responsible for the crisis, warning that families, veterans, and federal workers would bear the consequences.
The shutdown comes after Senate Democrats blocked a House-approved short-term resolution that would have extended current funding until late November. Democrats insisted instead on restoring hundreds of billions of dollars to health care programs, including Obamacare subsidies for low-income families, which the Trump administration has threatened to eliminate.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, up to 750,000 federal employees could be furloughed daily without pay until the funding impasse is resolved. The duration of the shutdown remains uncertain.
