At 12:01 a.m. Oct. 1, the federal government shut down after Congress failed to reach an agreement on funding legislation for the 2026 fiscal year. This marks the first government shutdown since 2019, when the U.S. experienced its longest government closure in history, lasting 35 days.

This time, Republicans hold 53 seats in the Senate, seven votes short of the 60 needed to pass a temporary spending bill. While the House approved a continuing resolution, Democrats have refused to support it unless Republicans agree to extend subsidies for the Affordable Care Act . Out of 47 Democrats in the Senate, three voted in favor of the bill, while only one of the 52 total Republican senators voted against it.

The consequences depend largely on how long the shutdown lasts. A short closure

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