why the government is shutting down

The U.S. government is shutting down because Congress failed to reach an agreement on a funding bill to finance government operations for the new fiscal year, which began October 1, 2025. The shutdown is primarily caused by partisan disagreements between the Republican majority and the Democrats over federal spending levels, healthcare subsidies, and Medicaid cuts. Republicans sought to pass a spending bill without reversing Medicaid reductions or extending health insurance subsidies, which Democrats oppose, leading to a legislative stalemate that resulted in the government losing funding and temporarily ceasing many services. This shutdown is the first since 2018-2019 and has furloughed about 900,000 federal employees while leaving others working without pay. Essential services remain operational but many agencies face suspensions of operations during the shutdown.