The U.S. federal government shutdown began at 12:01 a.m. EDT on October 1, 2025, after Congress failed to pass appropriations legislation for the new fiscal year due to partisan disagreements. The main conflict is between President Donald Trump's Republican Party, which controls both chambers but lacks the 60 votes to overcome a Senate filibuster, and Democrats. The Democrats oppose the Republican funding bill because it cuts Medicaid and ends enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits that make health insurance more affordable. Republicans reject Democratic demands and proposed alternatives, leading to a stalemate. The shutdown is the first in six years and the third during President Trump's administrations. About 900,000 federal employees are furloughed, with another 700,000 working without pay. Essential services like Medicare, Medicaid, Transportation Security Administration, air traffic control, and law enforcement continue operating, but many programs such as the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and others face partial or full suspension. Non-essential federal workers are furloughed without pay during the shutdown, although most are usually compensated retroactively once the government reopens. The shutdown's impact includes halted immigration hearings, delayed federal loans, and potential cuts in government benefits, with both parties blaming each other for the crisis.