US Federal Government Shuts Down Furloughing Hundreds of Thousands Amid Funding Deadlock

The U.S. federal government officially shut down after Congress failed to pass a funding measure, marking the first shutdown since 2019. The impasse resulted from Senate Democrats blocking a Republican stopgap funding package, which lacked concessions on health care and Medicaid spending that Democrats demanded. Republicans urged for a "clean" continuing resolution to keep the government funded at current levels while negotiations continue, but Democrats refused without major concessions. The shutdown furloughs hundreds of thousands of federal employees, with essential workers, including military personnel, required to work without pay until a resolution is reached. Government operations like NASA missions and President Donald Trump's immigration policies continue despite the shutdown. The Senate plans to repeatedly vote on the GOP proposal in hopes of breaking the deadlock, but uncertainty remains over how long the shutdown will last.