October 1, 2025
Government Shutdown 2025: Here’s What Happened And How It Affects You
The shutdown may be alarming, but it's nothing new.
Parts of the government are shut down as of Oct. 1 after Senate Democrats and Republicans, along with President Donald Trump, failed to come to an agreement to extend funding and keep it open, NPR reports.
Two critical pieces of legislation were left unresolved. A bill including government funding through October 2025 and an extension of healthcare subsidies on the federal level, scheduled to expire at the end of the year, was blocked in a vote by GOP members. Democratic leaders refused to sign a different bill supported by Republicans, approving a measure that would keep the government funded at current levels through Nov. 21.
Both bills needed 60 votes from Congress to pass.
Democratic leaders have stood their ground on not voting for spending measures unless Republicans agree to extend subsidies for health insurance plans purchased through the Affordable Care Act. That never happened, as Democrats say they are prepared to fight together.
“It’s a rare point of unification,” said Jim Kessler, of the moderate Democratic group Third Way, to the Associated Press. “Absolutely, there are risks. But you’re hearing it from all wings of the Democratic Party: The fight is the victory. They want a fight. And they’re going to get one.”
While it isn’t clear just how impactful the shutdown will be for Americans, federal services deemed critical, such as Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid payments, won’t be affected. Neither will VA benefits. Those in need, however, may face some delays.
For new voters, the shutdown may be alarming, but it’s nothing new. Simply put, a shutdown occurs when Congress fails to appropriate sufficient funds for the federal government to sustain operations beyond the fiscal year, which ends at the end of September.
One of the main concerns for voters is the duration of the shutdown.
The first shutdown in Sept. 1976 lasted for only 10 days. The longest one on record was 34 days, which started in Dec. 2018. There will be an impact on federal workers in addition to the lack of economic data collection, affecting the data market, spending and inflation.
“We have no idea this shutdown is going to last, but the last few shutdowns have been a bit longer than average,” New York Times chief economics correspondent Ben Casselman said in a thorough explanatory video posted on TikTok. “And the longer it goes on, the more significant the impact will be, both for the workers and the economy as a whole.”
It doesn’t help that President Donald Trump and members of his administration are ultimately blaming the “radical left.” The website for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) posted a bold message that “the Radical Left are going to shut down the government and inflict massive pain on the American people unless they get their $1.5 trillion wish list of demands,” the message read.
“The Trump administration wants to keep the government open for the American people.”
Trump himself posted an odd—and seemingly racist—A.I. video of Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer (NY) alongside House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY) claiming the party is only fighting in an effort to provide free healthcare to illegal immigrants. The video shows Jeffries wearing a sombrero and a fake mustache as faint mariachi music plays.
RELATED CONTENT: Trump’s FBI Reportedly Fires Agents Who Knelt During George Floyd Protests