Partial U.S. Government Shutdown Begins Oct. 1

The U.S. federal government entered a partial shutdown at the start of the new fiscal year on Oct. 1 after Congress failed to pass funding when Senate Democrats blocked a Republican-backed bill that could not overcome a filibuster. The impasse grew from partisan fights over extensions of health-care–related tax credits and immigration policy, with leaders on both sides publicly blaming one another. Hundreds of thousands (by some estimates up to millions) of federal workers face furloughs or will be forced to work without pay, while core functions — including the military, air-traffic control, Social Security/Medicare, and select NASA, FDA and USDA activities — will continue at reduced capacity; members of Congress and the president will still receive pay. Immediate disruptions include closures of national parks and museums, delays to passport applications, pauses in some food and drug inspections, and risks to contractors and small businesses that rely on federal payments. Markets and analysts warned the shutdown signals broader political dysfunction, and President Trump publicly blamed Democrats while framing the shutdown as needed to curb costs tied to immigration and public benefits.