The Government Has Shut Down. Now What?

The U.S. government ran out of funding at midnight and has officially shut down after President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans failed to come to a deal with Democrats. It may be a while before there’s any resolution here: While the Senate is set to vote again Wednesday on Republicans’ short-term spending bill, which Democrats rejected for the second time on Tuesday evening, the House is on recess until October 7, with Democrats staying in town while Republicans have been instructed to lie low.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Trump said a “lot of good can come from shutdowns” because it gives him the opportunity to “get rid of” Democratic policies. So what does this chaos mean for you? And how bad of a position does this shutdown put us all in? Below, a breakdown of what you need to know about the situation.

What happens during a government shutdown?

When Congress fails to agree on the appropriation bills to fund federal agencies, those agencies are forced to stop all nonessential operations until lawmakers approve new funding and the president signs it into law. Each agency determines which functions are essential and how much of its workforce to furlough.

When was the prior government shutdown?

We’ve been here before, also under Trump. The most recent federal shutdown, which took place between December 2018 and January 2019, cost the U.S. an estimated $3 billion in lost GDP. At 35 days, it was the longest lapse in federal funding in history.

Why did the government shut down, anyway? What were the sticking points for Democrats?

According to Republicans, who currently control the White House, the House of Representatives, and the Senate, the blame lies with Democrats who refuse to support a temporary spending bill — called a continuing resolution, or CR — unless it includes an extension for Affordable Care Act subsidies and a reversal of the GOP’s Medicaid cuts, which were part of Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill.” The GOP is running with this PR spin, blaming “the radical left” for the shutdown on the web pages for agencies such as the Department of Housing and Urban Development. (Government-ethics experts say this home-page notice is a brazen violation of the Hatch Act.)

Trump has made clear that he will leverage the shutdown to punish Democrats, regardless of how his actions may impact the American public. “We can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for them and irreversible by them,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday. “Like cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like.”

What workers will be furloughed?

The Congressional Budget Office told lawmakers on Tuesday that an estimated 750,000 federal employees will be furloughed as long as the government remains shut down, at an estimated cost of $400 million. Those workers will not be paid during this period, though the government is required by law to offer them back pay once normal operations resume.

But the Trump administration may take advantage of this moment to even further reduce the federal workforce. In a memo last week, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought — a key architect behind Project 2025 — urged federal agencies to turn certain temporary furloughs into permanent firings. Trump threatened as much on Tuesday, telling reporters, “When you shut it down, you have to do layoffs. So we’d be laying off a lot of people that are going to be very affected, and they’re Democrats.”

Does Congress get paid during a shutdown?

You bet they do. The Constitution guarantees President Trump and members of Congress will continue receiving their paychecks, no matter how long a shutdown lasts. As a quick reminder, the president earns $400,000 per year, while most representatives and delegates earn an annual salary of $174,000. Congressional leadership earn more money than other members: House Speaker Mike Johnson draws a $223,500 annual salary, and other leaders — including Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries — earn $193,400 each.

What happens to Social Security payments as well as Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements?

These three programs are categorized as “mandatory spending,” which means they won’t be impacted by the shutdown. People should continue to receive Social Security and Supplemental Security Income checks uninterrupted, while Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements to health-care providers should continue as normal. However, it’s possible a reduced workforce at the Social Security Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services could lead to delays on certain services or reduced hours at field offices.

What about food-assistance programs?

There shouldn’t be an immediate impact on those who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits because payments for October were set to go out as usual. But if the shutdown lasts longer than 30 days, those payments could be delayed or interrupted. Meanwhile, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children benefits should not be impacted for at least a week, beyond which there could be delays or interruptions depending on whether states have contingency funds.

Does a government shutdown affect flights?

Brace for some impact. Air-traffic controllers and most Transportation Security Administration staff are considered essential workers, meaning they’ll continue working without pay while the government remains closed. But if the shutdown goes on for too long, there’s a chance we could get a repeat of the 2018–19 shutdown, when key personnel called out sick due to missing paychecks. That led to staffing shortages that affected travelers.

What about immigration enforcement and immigration courts?

Agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection are considered essential workers, which means enforcement, detention, and deportation operations will be ongoing during the shutdown. Court hearings for detainees are likely to continue as well. Because the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is largely self-funded, services such as application interviews, naturalization ceremonies, and biometrics processing should remain unchanged.

Does student-loan collection pause during a shutdown?

No. Borrowers will still owe their regular student-loan payments. Additionally, the shutdown shouldn’t prevent people from reaching their loan servicers and vendors as usual, and the Education Department will continue to disburse Pell Grants and Federal Direct Student Loans.

Which other services will remain available?

Although furloughs will inevitably delay access to many services, other government functions are set to continue. You shouldn’t worry about your mail, for example, as the U.S. Postal Service is mostly self-funded and will continue operations. Services for veterans should also remain available, including access to health care at Veterans Affairs medical centers and outpatient care as well as VA benefits. U.S. passport agencies will stay open, though processing could be delayed due to furloughs. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be available to respond to emergencies or disasters, but there could be delays in its reimbursements to states and local governments. The Food and Drug Administration will continue with its core responsibilities, such as managing product recalls and drug shortages, but functions such as the agency’s scheduled inspections of manufacturing plants and other long-term food-safety initiatives will be halted. The National Parks Service announced there will be partial closures: While open-air sites are staying open to the public, locations requiring staffing will be closed.

Can Trump use the shutdown as cover to expand his power?

Yes. Not only can Trump continue remaking the federal workforce through the layoffs he has threatened, but his administration will have a lot of latitude to dismantle government functions that don’t align with its agenda, determine which roles are essential, and move to block funding or cancel certain programs.

How does this all end?

Republicans and Democrats would have to come to an agreement to end the shutdown, but so far that option doesn’t seem close on the horizon. Both parties have prepared to dig in for a lengthy fight, and we’re all likely to suffer as a result.