Summary
The U.S. government has shut down because Congress couldn't agree on a budget. This affects many federal workers who will temporarily stop working or work without pay. The shutdown is mainly due to disagreements between Republicans and Democrats over health care funding and spending cuts.
Key Facts
- The U.S. government shut down on October 1 because Congress failed to pass a funding agreement.
- Hundreds of thousands of federal workers are furloughed or working without pay.
- This shutdown is the first in seven years; the last one in 2019 lasted 35 days.
- Republicans are pushing for a temporary funding solution with no policy changes, while Democrats want to include health care provisions.
- About 750,000 federal workers, roughly 40% of the workforce, are affected.
- Essential services like the Postal Service and air traffic control will keep operating, but workers won't be paid during the shutdown.
- The shutdown is affecting many government operations, but some critical functions like Medicare and Social Security are still running.
