why did the govt shut down

The US federal government shut down on October 1, 2025, at 12:01 a.m. EDT due to congressional inaction on passing appropriations legislation for the 2026 fiscal year. The shutdown was caused by partisan disagreements primarily over federal spending levels, foreign aid rescissions, and health insurance subsidies. Republicans controlled both chambers of Congress but lacked the 60 votes in the Senate to overcome a filibuster and pass their proposed funding bill. Democrats insisted that any funding measure must include the continuation of enhanced Affordable Care Act premium subsidies and reversal of Medicaid cuts, which Republicans opposed. The result was a deadlock that prevented the passage of any short-term funding deal, causing a shutdown affecting roughly 900,000 federal employees furloughed and another 700,000 working without pay. Essential services such as Medicare, Medicaid, TSA, and others continued, but many agencies faced partial or full suspensions of operations. Both parties blamed each other for the shutdown, with President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats unable to reach a compromise despite last-minute negotiations.