Midnight Deadline Missed: US Government Shuts Down Over Spending Fight

The United States government has entered a partial shutdown after lawmakers in the Senate failed to reach an agreement on a new spending bill before the deadline.

Funding expired at 00:01 EDT (04:01 GMT) on Wednesday following the collapse of rival proposals put forward by Democrats and Republicans.This shutdown, the first since 2018, comes amid weeks of disagreements over healthcare funding and other provisions.

Democrats opposed a Republican-backed short-term spending plan that excluded measures to expand healthcare access and reverse cuts to Medicaid. Republicans, however, rejected the Democrats’ alternative proposal, which included over $1 trillion in healthcare spending.

Both bills failed to secure the required votes.The deadlock has triggered the 15th government shutdown since 1980. As a result, many federal agencies and services deemed non-essential will halt operations.

Services such as the release of key economic data and approvals for small business loans are suspended. However, essential workers, including law enforcement officers, military personnel, and air traffic controllers, will continue working without pay until funding is restored.

Payments for social security and food assistance will still be made.President Donald Trump has suggested he could use the shutdown to cut down the size of the federal workforce, raising fears of more disruption compared to past shutdowns.

He has also threatened that many federal employees may lose their jobs permanently, despite protections for civil service workers under US law.The failure to pass a stopgap measure has deepened partisan divisions.

Democrats accused Republicans of forcing a shutdown by refusing to address the healthcare crisis, while Republicans insisted that Democrats were bowing to pressure from their political base. Senate votes late on Tuesday showed defections from both sides but not enough to push any proposal past the 60-vote threshold.

The shutdown adds fresh uncertainty to the country’s political and economic climate. While past shutdowns have ended with federal employees receiving back pay, Trump’s threats of job cuts have left many workers anxious. Observers believe the standoff could drag on, with both parties unwilling to concede.

The longest government shutdown in US history lasted 34 days between late 2018 and early 2019, also under Trump’s presidency. With no clear deal in sight, it remains uncertain how long the current shutdown will last or what compromises, if any, will be made to restore government funding.