USA Shutdown: The US government shutdown, the first in seven years, came into effect on October 1st after Republicans and Democrats failed to resolve a budget standoff. The shutdown will impact government funding in October and beyond, and is expected to cause widespread disruptions for Americans, from air travel to zoos.
According to reports, including a BBC report, approximately 750,000 people, or 40 percent of the federal workforce, are expected to be furloughed without pay due to this political impasse.
This shutdown will have numerous impacts in the US and beyond.
The US government has shut down 14 times since 1980. Three of these occurred during Trump’s first term (2017-2021). This is the first shutdown of this term.
What is a government shutdown?
The US Congress must approve about a dozen appropriations bills, which determine funding for federal agencies, and receive the president’s approval. This must happen before October 1st of every year.
So technically, a shutdown occurs when Congress in the US is unable to authorize funds by the deadline.
Why is this happening now?
The current shutdown comes after Democrats demanded an extension of expiring healthcare subsidies and the reinstatement of Medicaid cuts introduced under Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill”—a tax cut package approved by the Republican-dominated Senate three months ago. This bill expanded tax breaks for the wealthy, increased defense spending through cuts to federal programs like Medicaid, and attempted to expand the scope of mass deportations. As a result of this bill, some departments, such as the War Department and the Department of Homeland Security, will receive funding and continue to operate during the shutdown.
Before the shutdown began at midnight on October 1st, Republican lawmakers in Congress supported a “clean” continuing resolution to ensure federal funding continued at current levels until November 21st. Democrats opposed this and instead introduced a counter-proposal to keep the government running until October. This impasse has led to the current shutdown.
Will federal employees receive pay?
Federal employees are expected to be the most affected. Most federal employees will not be paid during the shutdown. Employees considered essential will still be required to report to work, although they will not be paid until the government reopens. Furloughed and essential employees will receive back pay after the shutdown ends.
However, law enforcement officers will continue to work during the government shutdown. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on X that approximately 200,000 of these employees will return to work without pay.
Other employees who will continue to work include border security personnel, including ICE Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, hospital medical care workers, and air traffic controllers.
According to CBS News, the five government departments with the most furloughed employees are:
-U.S. Department of War: (civilian employees): 334,904 furloughed, 406,573 employees retained
-U.S. Department of Health: 32,460 furloughed, 47,257 employees retained
-U.S. Department of Commerce: 34,711 furloughed, 8,273 employees retained
-U.S. Department of State: 16,651 furloughed, 10,344 employees retained
-NASA: 15,094 furloughed, 3,124 employees retained
Employees were paid retroactively
There is also a provision allowing some employees to choose to work other jobs, as was the case during previous shutdowns. Employees who are not considered essential will be forced to stay home. Previously, these employees were paid retroactively.
US President Donald Trump, who has cut government spending and federal jobs since taking office, has repeatedly warned that a shutdown could lead to further layoffs and allow him to cut services and programs he believes are important to Democrats.
Will there be layoffs?
White House Press Secretary Carolyn Levitt told reporters on Wednesday that layoffs would be “immediate.” According to US media reports, Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, also told House Republicans earlier in the day that federal employees would begin being laid off within “one to two” days.
Trump said in a Truthout social post on Thursday that he would meet with Vought to determine which “Democratic agencies” the OMB director recommends cuts, and whether these cuts would be temporary or permanent.
Will members of Congress receive salaries?
However, members of Congress will continue to receive salaries. They are protected under the US Constitution – a tradition that some lawmakers have opposed.
How will the shutdown impact air travel?
According to a BBC report, the federal shutdown could impact travelers in several ways, including long security lines and delays, as unpaid air traffic controllers would prefer to stay home rather than work for free.
Air traffic control and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees are considered “essential,” so they will continue to report to work. However, they will not be paid until the shutdown ends. Air traffic control services will continue, allowing more than 13,000 air traffic controllers to work during the shutdown—but without pay until the government recovers funding.
During the 2018-2019 shutdown, these employees became increasingly ill, leading to work delays that had widespread impacts across the country.
Will the shutdown affect the military?
As things stand, most veterans’ benefits and military operations will continue to be funded despite the shutdown. Paychecks for military and civilian employees may be delayed until a financial settlement is reached. Many of these employees may be forced to go to work without pay.
CBS reports that active-duty military personnel, including those in the Active Guard Reserve, will remain on duty, but no new orders may be issued except in extraordinary circumstances such as disaster response or national security. Some National Guard members serving with federal funds may have their orders terminated, except if they are performing essential duties.
Federal employees will mostly remain unpaid during the shutdown. The Department of Veterans Affairs stated before the shutdown that it expected 97 percent of its employees to remain at work. The Army and Navy have stated that they will provide “limited updates” on their websites during the shutdown.
(With agency input)