The US federal government officially began shutting down after midnight Wednesday, as lawmakers and President Donald Trump failed to resolve a budget deadlock, primarily revolving around Democratic demands for healthcare funding. Operations across multiple federal departments and agencies halted at 12:01 a.m. local time (04:01 GMT), affecting hundreds of thousands of government employees. This marks the first shutdown since the 35-day record in 2019.

The House of Representatives had already passed a short-term funding resolution, but the Senate failed to approve it. Almost all Senate Democrats opposed the seven-week stopgap measure, insisting on restoring hundreds of billions of dollars in healthcare spending, particularly for low-income Americans under the Affordable Care Act. Negotiations had been tense, with a final attempt at the White House on Monday producing no progress.

President Trump placed the blame squarely on Democrats, warning that the shutdown would force cuts to public-sector jobs and social programs. “We’d be laying off a lot of people… they’re going to be Democrats,” Trump said, adding that the pause would allow removal of programs he viewed as unnecessary. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries countered, accusing Trump and Republicans of deliberately driving the country into a shutdown due to their refusal to protect healthcare funding.

The US Congress regularly confronts deadlines for approving spending bills, but shutdowns are uncommon. Minority Democrats have been attempting to use their leverage eight months into Trump’s second presidency, which has seen broad federal restructuring. Anxiety among federal workers is heightened due to previous large-scale dismissals orchestrated by Elon Musk’s self-styled Department of Government Efficiency.

Under Senate rules, government funding bills require 60 votes for passage - seven more than the Republicans currently hold. The GOP had proposed extending current funding until late November while negotiating a longer-term plan. Essential services, such as the Postal Service, military operations, Social Security, and food stamps, will continue, but up to 750,000 federal employees could be furloughed daily, with pay delayed until the shutdown ends, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Historically, the federal government has closed 21 times since 1976, with most stoppages lasting only hours. The previous record occurred on December 22, 2018, when Democrats and Trump deadlocked over $5.7 billion for a border wall. During that shutdown, around 380,000 federal employees were furloughed and another 420,000 continued working without pay.

The Senate will reconvene Wednesday, but the ongoing House recess through the week means it cannot immediately approve any deal passed by the upper chamber. With Yom Kippur observed Thursday, Senate proceedings are limited, though they may resume through the weekend. The impasse leaves the duration of the shutdown uncertain, and its economic and administrative impacts could be significant depending on how long lawmakers remain deadlocked.