why did the government shut down

The U.S. government shutdown in October 2025 happened because of a failure between the Republican-controlled Congress and Democrats to agree on a funding bill. The shutdown occurred after Democrats, influenced by progressive demands, rejected a "clean" continuing resolution (CR) that would have extended funding without changes. Republicans passed a spending bill to fund the government until November 21, 2025, but it lacked the 60 votes needed to overcome the Senate filibuster, largely because Democrats opposed it. Key issues in the dispute included Democrats wanting to maintain healthcare tax credits and Medicaid funding that Republicans wanted to reduce, as well as opposition to reversing GOP tax cuts and welfare payments for certain groups. With no agreement by the deadline of midnight September 30, 2025, hundreds of thousands of federal workers were furloughed, and many government services were temporarily suspended until a new funding agreement is reached. This shutdown reflects the long-standing partisan gridlock often surrounding government funding bills in the U.S. system.