Why is the U.S. government at risk of shutting down, and what should you know? By Anthony Zurcher (BBC North America correspondent) and James FitzGerald



What’s happening?

The U.S. government faces a shutdown at the end of Tuesday if President Donald Trump’s Republican Party cannot reach a funding agreement with the opposition Democrats on approving new spending legislation.

If no deal is struck, parts of the federal government will temporarily stop working. Essential services (like border security, police, air traffic control, and hospitals) would continue, but many other agencies would be forced to close or reduce operations.

Why could the government shut down?

In simple terms: the shutdown would happen because Republicans and Democrats cannot agree on a budget bill to keep funding government services beyond October.

  • Republicans control both chambers of Congress, but in the Senate they need 60 votes to pass funding laws.

  • Democrats oppose the Republican spending bill, saying it would make healthcare too expensive and cut vital programs like Medicaid, the CDC, and the NIH.

The Democrats are demanding tax credits that help keep health insurance affordable, and they want Trump’s budget cuts reversed.

When could this happen?

If no agreement is reached by 12:01 AM on Wednesday (U.S. time), the shutdown will begin. This would be the first U.S. government shutdown in nearly seven years.

The last one was in late 2018, under Trump’s first term. That shutdown lasted 35 days—the longest in U.S. history—caused by a dispute over funding Trump’s proposed border wall with Mexico.

How likely is a shutdown this time?

Very likely.

  • Republicans so far show no sign of making serious compromises. They believe the public will blame Democrats for holding up government funding.

  • Democrats think they are standing up for healthcare protections and public opinion is on their side. They are also under pressure from their left-wing base not to give in again, after previous budget battles.

President Trump himself has lowered expectations for a deal, telling CBS News:

“I honestly don’t know how we will solve this.”

Why is this standoff different from before?

Traditionally, shutdowns were seen as politically dangerous for both Congress and the White House because they disrupt public life. But this time, Trump’s administration seems comfortable with a prolonged shutdown.

  • Trump has already made deep spending cuts in the past nine months and fired many federal workers.

  • Some in his team may use the shutdown to classify certain staff as “non-essential” and eliminate their jobs permanently.

This suggests the White House might see a shutdown not as a failure, but as a tool to push its agenda of shrinking government.

What would be the impact?

Not everything stops, but the consequences can be serious:

  • Still operating: border security, hospitals, police, and air traffic control.

  • Disrupted: food assistance programs, school funding, student loans, food inspections, and national parks.

  • Workers: “essential” employees must keep working (often without pay until the shutdown ends), while “non-essential” staff are sent home without pay.

  • Economy: past shutdowns have reduced U.S. economic output by billions. The 2018–19 shutdown alone cost about $11 billion, of which $3 billion was never recovered.

How many times has this happened before?

Government shutdowns are fairly common in U.S. politics:

  • Since the 1970s, there have been over 20 shutdowns, though most lasted just a few days.

  • Ronald Reagan (1980s) faced 8 short shutdowns.

  • Bill Clinton (1995) had one lasting 21 days.

  • Barack Obama (2013) had one lasting 16 days.

  • Donald Trump (2018–19) had the longest ever: 35 days.

👉 In summary:
A shutdown happens when Congress cannot pass a budget to fund government services. This current risk comes from a standoff between Trump’s Republicans and the Democrats over healthcare funding and spending cuts. If no deal is made, millions of Americans will feel the effects—especially federal workers and vulnerable citizens relying on government programs.

Comments

Post a Comment