The federal government will remain shut down until Congress can agree on federal funding allocations.

Some government services stopped operating when the government entered a partial shutdown beginning at midnight on Wednesday, Oct. 1.

As a result, thousands of federal employees are set to be furloughed. President Donald Trump has threatened permanent layoffs in the wake of the shutdown.

Agencies that are considered essential, such as the U.S. Postal Service and air traffic control will run as usual. Social Security benefits will still be distributed. Some federal workers, such as members of the military, will have to continue working without pay.

Here's what will need to happen for the government to reopen and run like normal.

How exactly does a government shutdown end?

A government shutdown starts when Congress cannot agree on how to allocate funding for federal agencies to operate before a pre-established deadline (in this case, Sept. 30, 2025).

Meaning, the shutdown will end and the government will fully reopen once Congress passes funding appropriations. President Donald Trump will then have to sign the appropriations bill into law.

Lawmakers could also pass a temporary spending bill, known as a continuing resolution (or CR, for short), to buy more time for negotiations, according to the Office of Personnel Management.

What caused the government to shut down?

Democrats and Republicans in Congress failed to agree on the terms in the funding appropriations bill for the government's 2026 fiscal year, which begins on Oct. 1.

As a result, once funding lapsed, the government entered a partial shutdown.

For weeks, Democrats have been pushing for changes related to health care policies, such as the reversal of Medicaid cuts and the extension of enhanced health insurance subsidies. Republicans have continued to push a stopgap solution to keep funding at existing levels through Nov. 21.

On Sept. 19, the House of Representatives passed a short-term funding bill, but it has continued to fail in the Senate.

Both parties have pointed blame at each other for causing the shutdown. The White House website features a clock counting the amount of time "Democrats have shut down the government." The Democrats' X account cited Republicans' control of power in Congress.

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How does a government shutdown end? Here’s what would need to happen

Reporting by Melina Khan, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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