More than seven days into the sweeping government shutdown with no end in sight, the Senate rejected Democratic and Republican plans to reopen the government.

The failure to pass a funding package comes after President Donald Trump said he could block federal workers from receiving back pay once the shutdown is over, while threatening to fire federal workers and cut government programs if the shutdown continues.

“For the most part, we're going to take care of our people,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Oct. 7. “There are some people that really don't deserve to be taken care of, and we'll take care of them in a different way."

The major sticking point of the shutdown is an argument over health care in the United States. Democrats have said that millions of Americans could lose health care if cuts to Medicaid are not reversed.

With the 15th government shutdown since 1981 still going, here is what to know.

When did the government shutdown start?

After Congress failed to reach a funding agreement, the U.S. government officially shut down at midnight ET on Oct. 1.

How long has the government shutdown been?

What happens during a government shutdown?

Many federal government agencies and programs that rely on annual funding are paused if Congress fails to pass or if the president fails to sign the budget legislation.

During a government shutdown, hundreds of thousands of federal workers deemed nonessential are furloughed until funding is passed, meaning they won’t work and won’t be paid.

Although funded by the government, the military, as well as federal law enforcement agencies, will continue to operate like normal. National parks sometimes face closures during a shutdown.

USA TODAY’s Zachary Schermele, Francesca Chambers, Joey Garrison, Bart Jansen, Zac Anderson and Sarah D. Wire contributed to this report.

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When did the 2025 government shutdown start? Here's a timer

Reporting by Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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