If you’re just joining us, you’ll know now that the federal government officially shut down for the first time since 2019 after Congress failed to reach a funding agreement by the midnight deadline. We’ve provided a snapshot for you below.
Who’s affected: Hundreds of thousands of federal workers are furloughed or working without pay, including employees in agencies like the EPA, HUD, and the Department of Education. National parks are largely closed, with gates locked and visitor services unavailable. New federal loans for small businesses and homebuyers are paused, and immigration court hearings are delayed.
Who’s unaffected: Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits will continue uninterrupted. Air traffic controllers and TSA agents remain on the job, though unpaid, keeping flights operational. The National Weather Service, Veterans Affairs health services, and passport and visa processing are still running.
What Republicans are saying: Republicans have pinned the blame on Democrats, accusing them of refusing to negotiate. House Speaker Mike Johnson said on social media: “Democrats have officially voted to CLOSE the government. Results: Moms and kids lose WIC nutrition. Veterans lose health care and suicide prevention programs. … The only question now: How long will Chuck Schumer let this pain go on — for his own selfish reasons?”
What Democrats are saying: Democrats have placed responsibility on Republicans, particularly on Donald Trump. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a joint statement: “After months of making life harder and more expensive, Donald Trump and Republicans have now shut down the federal government because they do not want to protect the healthcare of the American people.”
What Trump said: Trump hasn’t reacted since the official start of the shutdown but said in an executive order signing on Tuesday, “The last thing we want to do is shut it down, but a lot of good can come down from shutdowns. We can get rid of a lot of things that we didn’t want, and they’d be Democrat things – but they want open borders. They want men playing in women’s sports.”