The US government shutdown, which began at midnight Tuesday (Washington DC time), could see hundreds of thousands of federal employees furloughed.
The US government has shut down for the first time in nearly seven years after the Senate failed to clear last-minute funding plans, triggering a standoff between Democrats and Republicans over healthcare spending.
The shutdown, which began at midnight Tuesday (Washington DC time), could see hundreds of thousands of federal employees furloughed, while critical services such as social security payments and postal operations continue, but with reduced staff. National parks and museums are among the facilities likely to close.
A Democrat-led stopgap bill was defeated 53–47, while the Republican proposal secured 55 votes, five short of the 60 needed to pass.
White House Blames Democrats For Shutdown
The White House budget office confirmed the shutdown, blaming Democrats for holding an "untenable" position. Republicans accused Democrats of taking federal workers “hostage,” while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer countered that the GOP package “does absolutely nothing to solve the biggest healthcare crisis in America.”
Trump Warns About Layoffs
President Donald Trump warned ahead of the votes that he could make “irreversible” cuts to programs favoured by Democrats if the shutdown proceeded.
“We'll be laying off a lot of people… cutting vast numbers of people out and programs that they like,” he told reporters in the Oval Office. Tens of thousands of federal employees have already been affected this year under the DOGE initiative, led by Elon Musk following Trump’s return to the White House.
The last US government shutdown occurred during Trump’s first term from December 2018 to January 2019, lasting 35 days — the longest on record. Since 1981, the federal government has shut down 15 times, with most closures lasting only a few days.
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