Presidential administration: Donald Trump
The 2025 United States federal government shutdown began at 12:01 a.m. EDT on October 1, 2025, after Congress failed to pass appropriations legislation to fund the government for the fiscal year 2026. The stalemate was driven by partisan disagreements over federal spending levels, cuts to foreign aid, and the extension of health insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. The Republican-controlled Congress and the administration insisted on budget priorities and rescissions, while Democrats in the Senate demanded the inclusion of health care provisions before agreeing to funding measures, with neither side able to get the 60 votes needed to pass their respective proposals.
The shutdown immediately furloughed approximately 750,000 federal employees. While critical services like Social Security and Medicare payments, as well as the U.S. Postal Service and border control, continued, numerous other government operations faced disruption. The shutdown delayed routine inspections, suspended new federal grants, and affected programs like the National Institutes of Health’s clinical trials, with the potential for more severe impacts on programs like WIC (Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) and housing assistance if the funding lapse is prolonged.
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Start date: October 1, 2025
End date: TBD
Impact:
- 750,000 federal employees on unpaid leave (NCSL)
- 4,000 federal employees to be fired with the shutdown (APNews)
- 64% National Park Service staff furloughed (POLITICO)
- Major airports report thousands of flight delays (MSN)
Related Resources:
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- Potential Effects of a Government Shutdown
- Past Government Shutdowns: Key Resources [Updated September 30, 2025]
- Government Reopening Check List – Items for Consideration, January 2019
- Quantitative Analysis of the Effects of the Government Shutdown on the Economy Under Three Scenarios, as of October 29, 2025
HSDL Featured Topics: Federal Workforce Challenges | Debt Limit
HSDL Search Results: Government Shutdown | Government Shutdown Agency Contingency Plans