The US government shut down at midnight 1-October-2025. During the shut down non-essential government services are stopped, federal agencies stop activities, and a large number of federal workers are furloughed.
The reason for the shutdown is there isn't enough votes supporting the spending bill which was written by Republicans, the party in power. Democrats want some changes, they are calling for an extension of tax credits that make health insurance cheaper for millions of Americans - which are set to expire - and for a reversal of cuts to Medicaid that have been made by Trump. Democrats also oppose spending cuts to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and National Institutes of Health (NIH).