US government has just been shut down for the first time in years and it could affect you

The US government officially shut down after President Donald Trump and Congress failed to reach a funding agreement by the October 1 deadline. This marks the first shutdown since late 2018, which lasted 35 days and became the longest in over 40 years, costing the US economy roughly $3 billion in lost GDP.

A government shutdown occurs when federal agencies cannot access approved funding due to political disagreements. Non-essential services are paused, and many workers are either furloughed or unpaid, while essential operations, such as the FBI, CIA, border protection, hospitals, law enforcement, and air-traffic control, continue.

Non-essential services affected include food assistance programs, pre-schools, student loans, passport processing, and operations at national parks. Public-facing services like museum access and travel support are also disrupted.

The shutdown resulted from a standoff in Congress. Republicans pushed for a “clean” funding bill to extend government operations without additional provisions but needed Democratic support to pass the Senate, which they lacked. Democrats used this leverage to protect health insurance subsidies for low-income Americans and reverse cuts to Medicaid.

President Trump expressed a desire to avoid a shutdown but was unable to broker a deal. Both parties held firm, leading to the current lapse in funding.

Around 750,000 federal employees are expected to be furloughed, and some offices may face permanent closures. Air travel, government websites, and public services are likely to face delays. Essential workers, while required to report to work, will not be paid during the shutdown, as has occurred in previous lapses.

Healthcare services are also affected. The Health and Human Services Department cannot process public information requests, and the National Institutes of Health has paused new patient admissions for clinical research trials until funding resumes.