US Government Shuts Down Following Budget Deadlock in Congress
DID Press: Following the failure of negotiations between Democrats and Republicans over a temporary budget bill, the U.S. federal government officially shut down at midnight on Tuesday. This marks the first government shutdown during Donald Trump’s second term, a crisis whose scope and duration remain uncertain.
As the legal deadline expired without the passage of a temporary funding bill in the U.S. Senate, several federal agencies began shutting down operations. Despite late-night talks, Republicans and Democrats failed to reach a compromise, with neither side willing to provide the 60 votes required to pass the opposing party’s proposal.
Shortly after the failed vote, the White House Office of Management and Budget confirmed the shutdown in an official memo, blaming Democrats for the stalemate. The memo instructed federal agencies to implement plans for an “orderly shutdown,” though it added that the duration of the crisis remained unpredictable due to what it called the Democrats’ obstinacy.
According to initial guidelines, nonessential services are to be suspended, resulting in the closure of museums, national parks, and several government offices. Thousands of federal employees deemed nonessential have been placed on unpaid mandatory leave, and if the shutdown continues, the suspension may expand to other sectors.
The main dispute between the two parties centers on public health insurance and medical subsidies. Democrats have conditioned their support for a temporary budget on including federal funding for low-income health insurance programs, while Republicans have rejected this demand, calling it political hostage-taking.
Ahead of the Senate vote, President Donald Trump threatened to initiate mass layoffs across federal departments in parallel with the furloughs if the government shutdown occurred.
Democratic leaders, including Senator Chuck Schumer, responded that staff reductions were already underway, accusing Republicans of “concealment” and “lying” to deflect responsibility. In contrast, Senator John Thune, a senior Republican, asserted that his party “will not allow Congress to become a hostage of the Democrats.”
As the deadlock persists, the prospect of reopening the government remains uncertain, with analysts warning that a prolonged shutdown could severely disrupt the U.S. economy and the daily lives of millions of Americans.