When will the government reopen? Here's how long past shutdowns lasted

When will the government reopen? Here's how long past shutdowns lasted

Rachel Treisman

October 01, 2025 / 10:39 am

The federal government has shut down for the first time since 2018.

The first shutdown in over five years began just after midnight on Wednesday, after a standoff between Senate Republicans and Democrats over healthcare spending culminated in their failure to pass a pair of last-ditch funding bills.

Both parties are blaming each other , though a new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll shows that more Americans hold Republicans responsible for the impasse.

The shutdown means several hundred thousand federal employees and active-duty service members will work without pay. It throws into question the operating status of sites like national parks and the Smithsonian Institutio