U.S. Federal Government Shuts Down for First Time in Nearly 7 Years

 

On September 30, 2025, the U.S. Senate rejected bipartisan funding bills, leading to the federal government shutting down at 12:01 a.m. on October 1, 2025—the first since 2018.

 

Hundreds of thousands of federal employees face furloughs or layoffs, and numerous services have halted.

 

On the evening of September 30, White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought issued a memo directing agencies to implement "orderly shutdown" plans.

 

Essential departments like the military, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Aviation Administration, and U.S. Postal Service remain unaffected.

Senate Republicans to Vote Again on Stopgap Funding on October 1

Senate Republicans plan procedural votes on October 1 for their temporary funding bill and a Democratic proposal.

 

The Senate session could extend to October 3 or 4 (October 2 is a recess day); the House has no meetings this week.  

 

Senate Republican Leader John Thune hopes to gain five more Democratic senators for the GOP bill but ruled out changes to win more votes.

 

Federal funding typically comes from annual appropriations bills, which Congress should pass by October 1 for the new fiscal year.

 

Due to partisan fights, Congress often relies on temporary measures. In the past year, shutdown threats loomed multiple times, with short-term bills passed hours before deadlines in December 2024 and March 2025.

What Does a U.S. Federal Government Shutdown Mean?  

Government shutdowns aren’t new in the U.S., but this year’s risk differs, with more complex underlying dynamics.  

 

A shutdown would furlough about 800,000 federal employees without pay and delay contractor payments. Low-income families would feel the hit fastest. Transportation, travel, healthcare, and public health services would be disrupted. The broader economic cost is significant.  

U.S. Government Has Shut Down Over 20 Times in Half a Century—Last One Also Under Trump  

Since the 1970s, the U.S. federal government has shut down over 20 times due to Republican-Democrat disputes.

 

The longest was from late 2018 to early 2019 during Trump’s first term, when Democrats opposed funding for his U.S.-Mexico border wall, leading to a 35-day shutdown. About a quarter of federal agencies closed for five weeks, affecting over 800,000 employees and costing over $10 billion.  

 

Public opinion polls show most Americans view shutdowns as irresponsible political theater and resent using public institutions as leverage. Fatigue is growing amid repeated crises.