The most recent U.S. federal government shutdown began at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on October 1, 2025. This shutdown occurred due to congressional inaction on appropriations legislation for the 2026 fiscal year, resulting from partisan disagreements over federal spending, foreign aid rescissions, and health insurance subsidies. It is the first shutdown since the 2018–2019 shutdown and the 21st in modern U.S. history. Approximately 900,000 federal employees were furloughed, and another 700,000 worked without pay during this shutdown.
Previously, the longest government shutdown occurred from December 22, 2018, to January 25, 2019, lasting 35 days and marking the longest shutdown in U.S. history.
Thus, the government shutdown started on October 1, 2025.
