This story was originally published in Glamour.
As of October 1, 2025, the United States has officially entered a government shutdown. It feels like it should be impossible for the government to simply shut down as if it was an outdated desktop PC, but it is actually a relatively common occurrence.
In fact, this is the third government shutdown to happen during a Trump administration. The first, in January 2018, lasted only three days. The second shutdown, the longest in United States history, began in December of that year, when President Donald Trump wanted funding for his border wall, but Senate Democrats blocked the bill, per NPR.
However, the fact that shutdowns happen somewhat frequently does not mean they don’t have serious detrimental impact in both the short and long term. And the lasting consequences of this shutdown could be more extreme than most. Per NPR, Trump told reporters that his administration might make some of the shutdown cuts permanent. “We can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for them,” he said. “We can cut large numbers of people. We don’t want to do that, but we don’t want fraud, waste, and abuse.”
Here’s what you need to know.
Why did the shutdown happen?
In order to fund the government, every year, Congress must pass legislation dictating how funds are to be disbursed. If Congress cannot come to an agreement and pass a bill, the government shuts down.
In September, per NPR, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed a spending bill that would have kept the government funded through November 21. Democrats in the Senate blocked that bill from passing, because it would have allowed certain Affordable Care Act subsidies to expire at the end of the year. Senate Democrats proposed their own bill, which would extend the ACA subsidies, but that bill was then blocked by Republicans.
As the fight continues, Trump has threatened mass layoffs of Democrat federal workers if Democrats in Congress continue to fight the Republican bill, according to The New York Times.
Will all government agencies be shut down?
The government shutdown does not mean that every agency immediately ceases all operations. Social Security, VA benefits, and Medicare and Medicaid payments will continue, but they could face delays. Per The Associated Press, the Department of Homeland Security (which includes ICE) will continue to operate more or less as normal, as will the Pentagon.
Other departments will be facing more extreme cuts. According to NPR, the Congressional Budget Office estimates about 750,000 federal employees may be furloughed daily. Trump told reporters on September 30 (per AP) that the administration may focus cuts on agencies that are important to Democrats, “cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like.” On October 1, the day of the shutdown, Vice President JD Vance tried to walk this statement back, saying in a briefing, per NBC, “We’re not targeting federal agencies based on politics. We’re targeting the people’s government so that as much as possible of the essential services can continue to function.”
For the most part, federal workers will not be paid throughout the shutdown. Workers that are considered essential must still report to work, but will not be paid until the shutdown is over, at which time they should receive back pay.
What parts of the government will be the most affected?
Health care agencies may experience especially severe cuts. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is furloughing some 40% of its employees, according to Politico. This includes the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is furloughing around 75% of its workforce, and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which is furloughing two thirds of its staff. There is also reason to believe that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—who has already overseen mass firings in HHS—could use the shutdown to further purge the agency.
Per The New York Times, the Environmental Protection Agency has furloughed 89% of employees; the Department of Commerce, 81%; and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, 71%.
In the more immediate term, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is set to run out of funding within a week, per Politico. The program provides low-income pregnant and postpartum people with food, infant formula, and breastfeeding assistance.
What about things like travel, national parks, and student loans?
While student-loan bills will still go out, borrowers may face delays to their applications for loan forgiveness or repayment plans, per CNBC, due to staffing furloughs.
Per Axios, national parks will remain open, against the advice of the National Parks Conservation Association. Furloughs will leave parks understaffed, the NPCA warned, which makes them more dangerous to visitors.
As for travel, the Department of Transportation has said, according to Reuters, that it will have to furlough a quarter of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees. This will likely lead to flight delays and strains on the agency, but travel will remain possible.
When will the shutdown end?
The reality is that no one really knows. The longest shutdown in United States history, in 2018 and 2019, lasted 35 days.
On October 1, the Senate failed to pass the Republican spending bill for the third time, as was expected. But Vance told reporters he expects the Democrats to fold soon. “I actually don’t think it’s going to be that long of a shutdown,” he said, per NBC News. “For literally decades, we’ve heard them say, ‘You don’t shut the government down over policy disagreement.’”
