Government Shutdown Begins After Congress Misses Deadline
The federal government ceased operations at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday after Congress was unable to pass the Stop Gap Funding Bill before the October 1 deadline, leading to disruptions in services across various agencies.
The Personnel Management Bureau announced the shutdown after midnight. Essentially, a shutdown means that non-essential operations are paused, but certain essential functions continue. In many cases, employees will work without pay until Congressional action is taken. According to OPM’s shutdown guidance, furloughed employees are assured they will receive backpay once the situation resolves, but the salaries for excluded employees will be delayed until funding is restored.
“After months of making life more difficult and expensive, Donald Trump and Republicans have shut down the federal government because they didn’t want to protect American healthcare,” stated House Democrat leader Hakeem Jeffries alongside Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer in a press announcement early Wednesday.
In the meantime, the White House criticized Democrats for running a “government shutdown clock” while blocking short-term extensions.
The agency is now implementing a contingency plan that outlines which programs will be suspended and which will continue under legal exceptions. Current updates from OPM indicate that the situation varies depending on the agency involved.
Lawmakers failed to meet the deadline after the Senate did not approve the House-passed measure, which required 60 votes but fell short with a vote of 55-45. Additionally, previous Democratic alternatives were also unable to secure the necessary votes in early September, resulting in a lack of options to secure funding.
A significant focus is on a short-term bill aimed at extending Affordable Care Act premium subsidies, which are set to expire after 2025. Democratic leaders assert they will not support continuing resolutions unless these grants are included, while Republicans maintain that Democrats are instigating the shutdown to gain leverage.
