why is government shut down

The U.S. government shut down on October 1, 2025, due to a failure by Republicans and Democrats in Congress to agree on a spending bill to extend government funding. The key issues causing the impasse included disagreements over federal spending levels, foreign aid rescissions, and health insurance subsidies. Democrats opposed the Republican-proposed funding bill, arguing it would worsen healthcare access by cutting important subsidies and Medicaid funding, while Republicans lacked the Senate votes needed to pass their funding measure. This deadlock triggered a funding lapse and forced the government to cease many operations, furloughing hundreds of thousands of federal employees and suspending or limiting services at some agencies.