why is us government shutting down

The U.S. government shutdown occurred because lawmakers failed to agree on a funding bill to keep the government operational past the fiscal year deadline of October 1, 2025. The main conflict is between President Donald Trump's Republican Party, which holds the majority in Congress, and the Democrats. Republicans proposed a short-term funding bill without changes to Medicaid and health care tax credits, which Democrats oppose. Democrats want health care subsidies extended and Medicaid cuts reversed, while Republicans do not agree to include these measures in the spending bill. This stalemate led to the government running out of money, shutting down non-essential services, and furloughing around 750,000 federal workers, though essential services like military, law enforcement, and air traffic control continue to operate.