“It’s frustrating that our government is willing to toss aside thousands of federal workers over power grabs,” said Isabela Esin, a political science student at the University of Florida.
On early Wednesday morning, Oct. 1, the US government shut down for the first time in seven years. This was after weeks of partisan standoffs over the federal budget negotiations, leaving the budget unpassed. The shutdown now leaves students such as Isabela asking one question: “How does the government just stop working?”
What is a government shutdown?
Government shutdowns occur when Congress disagrees on the budget for the next fiscal year. When lawmakers are unable to pass funding appropriations or a continuing resolution—a temporary spending bill that buys them more time for negotiations—before the federal annual budget expires, the government is forced to pause all nonessential operations.
During a government shutdown, federal agencies lose funding, and most pause their regular operations. At the same time, essential workers such as first responders and air traffic controllers continue working, often without pay. In comparison, non-essential employees, such as those employed by national parks or museums, are suspended from their jobs. Government-funded programs can experience severe delays or freezes, but essential government programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and food stamps keep running.
There is no time frame for government shutdowns. Some have lasted only one day, while the most recent shutdown in 2018 lasted 35 days —the longest in U.S. history. Long government shutdowns can lead to severe economic consequences. In 2018, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the US lost $3 billion in gross domestic product, or GDP. With no end in sight, the economic impact of this shutdown remains uncertain, but if history is any indication, the impacts could be severe.
Why did the shutdown happen?
Brewing disagreement over health care spending triggered the government shutdown. Democrats want to extend health care tax credits, or premium tax credits, as established by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which are set to expire at the end of 2025. According to the Internal Revenue Service, these credits help “eligible individuals and families with low or moderate income afford health insurance”. Democrats argue that Republicans are unwilling to negotiate to pass the federal funding bill.
Across the aisle, Republicans have stated that the government shutdown has been orchestrated by the Democrats, who want to give free health care to illegal immigrants. While the Democratic bill would expand access to health care for groups who are legally in the United States, it would not provide access to illegal immigrants, as President Donald Trump claims; under the Affordable Care Act, illegal immigrants are expressly ineligible for health care benefits.
On the other hand, if the premium tax credits expire, many Americans who pay for health care coverage will have to pay double their current premium to afford the same plan, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
At the same time, partisan showdowns continue to fuel the fire. The Trump administration has continued to claim that Democrats are to blame for the government shutdown, calling it the “Radical Left Democrat Shutdown”. On the morning of October 1st, multiple federal agencies’ websites blamed Democrats for the shutdown. The U.S. Department of Justice’s website has a banner that reads, “Democrats have shut down the government”. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website reiterates rhetoric of the “Radical Left Democrat” shutdown while stating that President Trump wants to support the American people.
Such rhetoric has also raised concerns that federal employees and agencies are violating the Hatch Act of 1939. This law limits certain political activities of federal, state, and local government employees who work in connection with federally funded programs. By publicly attributing blame for the government shutdown to the Democratic Party, some federal agencies risk crossing the line into prohibited political activity.
At the same time, prominent Democratic figures such as U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have stated that the shutdown is the fault of the Republican Party’s unwillingness to compromise or work, claiming that House Republicans have been “on vacation” since the shutdown began.
This partisan standoff continues, leaving many citizens eager for an end to the legislative deadlock. “I don’t think that government shutdowns should be weaponized to tear down any party, right or left.” said Isabela Esin. “Government shutdowns are meant to be a consequence of legislative deadlock, and it seems childish to blame the entire situation on one side because it takes two sides to disagree on a matter”. Esin said that she finds the demonization and labeling of the Democratic Party as “domestic terrorists” to be the most alarming part of the shutdown.
Who does this affect?
While government shutdowns loom large, they have ripple effects that reach every American:
Government employees and contractors: Federal employees are temporarily laid off without pay while essential employees, including military officials, continue to work without pay; both groups are legally required to receive back pay once the federal government passes a funding bill. Conversely, President Trump and members of Congress continue to receive their paychecks as protected by the U.S. Constitution’s Articles I and II. However, multiple members of Congress from both sides of the aisle have formally requested that their pay be withheld, including Representatives Kat Cammack (FL-03) and Gus Bilirakis (FL-12).
The Economy and Businesses: While a shutdown of a few days would have no significant impact on the economy, a lengthy shutdown is estimated to reduce GDP growth by 0.2% for each week. During the shutdown, small businesses will not receive new Small Business Administration (SBA) loans and may feel the indirect effects of the furloughed employees.
SNAP recipients: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) will continue to provide food stamps until the funds run out. Multiple states, including Texas, have stated that “SNAP benefits will be halted if the shutdown continues past” October. This means that those relying on such programs will be heavily impacted and left without essential aid if the government shutdown continues.
Students: Considering that the shutdown happened mid-semester, federal aid has already been disbursed. The Department of Education stated that it will continue to disburse Pell Grants and Direct Loans, though applications for future aid may face delays. During shutdowns, the National Institute of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF) furlough their non-essential employees and are unable to process new federal grants or proposal reviews for research projects, directly affecting universities. At the same time, this shutdown holds indirect consequences for students. Lily Wukasch, an environmental science student at the University of Central Florida, claims that the government shutdown has affected her ability to find volunteer opportunities: “Since the government shutdown has affected many national and state parks, I am unable to get my mandatory service hours as most opportunities have been cancelled”.
What next?
Moving forward, the government’s next steps will determine how quickly essential services can be restored and whether a long-term solution can prevent future shutdowns. Congress must compromise to pass a funding bill, and President Trump must sign it to end the shutdown. However, multiple attempts to do so have failed, with the latest vote taking place on Wednesday, October 22nd. Instead, Donald Trump has stated that Democratic lawmakers have allowed him to cut staffing for “Democrat agencies,”, meaning federal agencies that the president believes align with Democratic policies.
On October 2nd, President Trump posted on Truth Social that he would meet with Russ Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget and architect of the conservative Project 2025 policy plan, to discuss such actions. This is part of the Trump Administration’s effort to restructure federal spending in line with its political priorities.
For example, the administration froze $2.1 billion in funding for Chicago’s transit system, $18 billion for two major infrastructure projects in New York, and nearly $8 billion for climate-related initiatives across 16 states, all of which were won by Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
It is unclear how long the government shutdown will last. Until lawmakers reach a resolution, federal workers remain in limbo, agencies stall and Americans continue to feel the weight of this political stalemate. The coming weeks will determine not only when the government reopens, but whether leaders can restore public confidence in the nation’s ability to function and prioritize the American people.
