US Government shutdown begins, Putting 750,000 workers at risk

The US government officially shut down early Wednesday after President Donald Trump and Congress failed to reach a budget agreement, forcing hundreds of thousands of federal employees off the job without pay.

The deadlock followed weeks of bitter negotiations, with Democrats demanding restored funding for health care programs, while Republicans pushed through a short-term funding plan that collapsed in the Senate just before the midnight deadline.

As of 12:01 a.m., multiple federal departments and agencies began halting operations, although essential services such as the military, the Postal Service, Social Security, and food assistance programs remain in place. According to the Congressional Budget Office, as many as 750,000 workers could be sent home each day until the shutdown ends.

Both parties swiftly blamed one another. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Republicans of “shutting down the government to take away health care,” while House Speaker Mike Johnson said Democrats were prolonging the crisis for “selfish reasons,” warning that veterans, mothers, and children would be among those hit hardest.

Trump, for his part, downplayed the disruption, calling shutdowns an opportunity to “get rid of things we didn’t want” and suggesting Democrats would bear the brunt of the consequences.

The shutdown is the first since the record-breaking 35-day closure during Trump’s previous term in 2018–2019. How long this one will last remains uncertain, with Congress still deeply divided over funding priorities and no compromise in sight.

Since 1976, the federal government has closed 21 times due to budget disputes.