The federal government is shut down. Here’s what that means across the country

The federal government is currently shut down, after lawmakers failed to pass a funding bill by 12:01 a.m. on Oct. 1.

All non-essential services have been suspended and several hundred thousand federal employees and active-duty service members will work without pay.

Reporters from the NPR Network are digging into the ways the government shutdown is affecting services across the country.

As we enter another week with a lapse in federal funding, here’s what we know.

---

Jump to state-specific impacts.

---

Why did the federal government shut down?

A partisan argument over if and when lawmakers need to act to extend subsidies for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces led to the current shutdown. 24 million people — who don’t have insurance through their jobs or a public program like Medicaid use the system to buy health plans.

Democrats in the Senate refused to vote for the Republican short-term funding bill that passed the House but did not include an extension of the enhanced premium tax credits. Democrats are also hoping to repeal cuts to health care programs that were put in place as part of the GOP spending and tax bill that passed over the summer.

Read more about more on the debate over these subsidies here.

— Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR

---

What will it take for the government to reopen?

As we approach week two, there has been no movement or progress on ending this government shutdown. Republicans in the House have already passed a measure that would temporarily fund the government until Nov. 21. But in the Senate, Republicans so far do not have enough Democratic support.

There’s no clear way out, as both parties are in “who blinks first” mode. But here are a few potential scenarios for how this could end:

Scenario 1: Democrats fold
Enough moderate Democratic senators side with Republicans to overcome a filibuster and pass a funding bill. That could happen if public pressure becomes too great.

Scenario 2: Republicans overstep and feel pressured to the negotiating table
The longer the shutdown goes on, the greater the possibility that Republicans could take the brunt of the blame. That could be the case if Trump’s budget director, Russ Vought, gets his way and goes through with his threats of mass firings and cutting off billions of dollars to blue states — something that’s not necessary, but intended to get Democrats to cave.

Scenario 3: Elected officials in both parties reach a temporary deal
It’s also possible that leaders on Capitol Hill across the aisle cry uncle and vote for more time to negotiate on health care measures that Democrats have been looking to include in the deal. The White House certainly seems to see that it publicly has to show concern about health care, and that could be reflective of the fact that support for the Affordable Care Act is at near-record highs — very different from the 2010s that cost Democrats House seats.

The latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll out last week, taken just before the shutdown occurred, found that Republicans would get more of the blame 38%-27% if the government did shut down. But that’s not near a majority. What’s more, 31% overall said they would blame both parties equally, including 41% of independents. That means the messaging — and who can peel off the blame-everyone-equally crowd — is going to be key in ending this impasse.

The last shutdown, which started in 2018, was the longest in U.S. history — timing out at 35 days.

— Domenico Montanaro, NPR’s senior political editor/correspondent

---

What about WIC and SNAP benefits?

Among the first to feel the pinch during this shutdown could be the seven million mothers and young children who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) food program.

“We have a really short runway here before we would reach a real crisis in program operations,” says Nell Menefee-Libey with the National WIC Association. She calculates that runway at about two weeks.

Lucia Graves of Lebanon, N.H. told NPR she is counting on the benefits to help feed her family, especially as the cost of groceries is on the rise. But continued access if there’s a prolonged shutdown will likely depend on states filling the gap, if their budgets allow.

Beyond WIC, the country’s much larger food aid program — the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (or SNAP, previously known as food stamps) — is in better shape moneywise. That’s because the debit-like cards people use to buy food are loaded a month in advance, so benefits will continue for October.

— Jennifer Ludden, NPR

---

USPS is ‘open for business as usual’

“U.S. Postal Service operations will not be interrupted in the event of a government shutdown,” according to a statement by USPS. The postal service is primarily self-funded and doesn’t depend on the appropriations process to continue running as usual.

---

As of now, the IRS is operating normally

According to the Treasury’s contingency plan, the IRS has money to keep working for five business days after a lapse in federal appropriations.

That five-day clock runs out Tuesday. It’s unclear what will happen after that.

— Scott Horsley, NPR

Read more about how the shutdown has delayed the jobs report and how other critical reports could be held up soon.

---

Teachers and schools won’t be directly impacted, but federal education functions might

However, 87% of Department of Education employees have been temporary furloughed, as detailed in agency shutdown contingency plans.

In addition, many Department of Education employees who were furloughed were surprised to see a message blaming Democrats for the government shutdown inserted into their out-of-office replies. A federal workers union is now suing the Trump administration for inserting the language into employees’ out-of-office email messages.

— Shannon Bond, NPR

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for 2026 went live as scheduled. As WPR’s Corrinne Hess reports, the U.S. Department of Education says that student financial aid programs will continue, despite the shutdown.

---

National Parks are a mixed bag

Across the country, the National Park Service (NPS) have brought their operations to a halt.

As KQED’s Sarah Wright and Carly Severn reported, a contingency plan for the NPS says that park roads, lookouts and trails “will generally remain accessible to visitors” for the duration of the shutdown, but other services such as regular road and trail condition updates would not be provided.

Concerns have also been raised about the safety and responsibility of keeping parks open without having a robust number of employees available to conduct critical services.

A previous government shutdown, Texas Public Radio‘s Jerry Clayton reported, saw an ancient rock at Big Bend vandalized amid the lack of staffing.

Read more on the impact to the national parks system here.

— Alana Wise, NPR

---

Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security benefits will continue

Social Security, VA and other benefits will continue. There could still be some delay in services, such as processing applications.

Read more on how a fight over health policy led to the government shutdown from NPR’s Selena Simmons-Duffin.

---

There could be missed paychecks and lost jobs

Perhaps the biggest impacts will be felt by federal workers and active-duty military service members who will not receive a paycheck during the government shutdown.

The Congressional Budget Office estimated earlier this week that roughly 750,000 federal employees would be furloughed each day of the shutdown.

Here’s the latest breakdown on temporary furloughs during the government shutdown by agency.

Wildfire and other emergency response personnel, for example, will continue to work, but in many cases without pay.

In addition to furloughing employees, during the lead up to the shutdown, the White House also threatened mass layoffs (a reduction in force, or RIF) of federal employees should the government shut down.

Because the government shut down close to the end of a pay period, federal employees will see their first full missed paycheck on Oct. 24, while for the military it will be Oct. 15.

---

ICE will mostly continue uninterrupted

Immigration cases and enforcement are proceeding as usual during the government shutdown, with a few small exceptions.

Customs inspection and immigration law enforcement are considered “essential” functions that will continue during any lapse in appropriations, though workers may not get paid until the shutdown is over.

— Anna Yukhananov and Ximena Bustillo, NPR

---

If you’re flying soon …

Air traffic controllers and most Transportation Security Administration employees are considered “essential workers” and have to stay on the job.

Air traffic controllers helped to end the last government shutdown, and could help end this one as well. A “slight increase” in sick leave at two facilities on the East Coast threw some major airports into chaos.

Read more on what a shortage of air traffic controllers could do to bring an end to the shutdown from NPR’s Joel Rose.

---

The impact of the shutdown looks different in different parts of the country

Some states across the country are uniquely positioned to feel the impact of the government shutdown.

Reporters from the NPR Network are digging into the ways the government shutdown is playing out in their region.

Here’s what we know so far about how the shutdown is affecting specific communities across the country:

---

Alaska

• More than 8,000 Alaska households receive WIC benefits. For now, WIC offices around the state are open and Jeff Turner, a spokesman for Gov. Mike Dunleavy, says Alaska has enough money in the program to last through the first week of the shutdown. Whether cash reserves last beyond then is unclear. [Alaska Public Media]
• About 15,000 federal employees live in Alaska, one of the highest percentages of federal employees when compared with other states. President Trump’s threat that federal employees could receive termination notices increases the uncertainty around how this crucial workforce to Alaska’s economy could be affected. [Alaska Public Media]

For more on the impact in Alaska, head to Alaska Public Media.

---

Arizona

• Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said last week she would not spend state funds to keep Grand Canyon National Park open should the government shutdown. [KJZZ] 
• Sen. Ruben Gallego said the shutdown would also not affect federal relief money to communities in the Miami-Globe area after torrential monsoon rains caused flash flooding in the region [KJZZ]

---

California

• The shutdown of the federal government has brought the full or partial closure of many National Park Service sites across California: Muir Woods is fully closed. Alcatraz Island is slated to stay open. Other sites like Point Reyes National Seashore and Fort Point have partial closures, with some parking lots blocked or bathrooms locked. Even some park staff said they didn’t learn the plan until Tuesday afternoon. Yosemite is open, but with lots of changes for visitors. [KQED]

---

Colorado

• Sites and lands in Colorado operated by the National Park Service are open, but “some services may be limited or unavailable,” according to the agency’s website. [Colorado Public Radio]
• In Colorado, the federal government employs thousands of workers at climate or land-management agencies. An EPA spokesperson told CPR News that the agency is operating under its shutdown plan, which would furlough thousands of employees. [Colorado Public Radio]

---

Connecticut

• Connecticut will continue federally funded food assistance programs for state residents during the government shutdown, Gov. Ned Lamont said on Wednesday. But he said the state’s reserve money for SNAP, the food assistance program for low-income families, will run out by the end of the month. [WSHU]
• Connecticut has a $2.5 billion budget surplus this year — its second largest in history. Advocates are asking Lamont to consider using it to help offset the federal shortfall. [WSHU]

---

Kansas

• Kansas farmers face several uncertainties, as payments from some federal programs are in limbo. In addition, nearly half of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s employees will be furloughed, and many offices will be closed. [KCUR]
• During the last two shutdowns, the USDA did not publish its monthly crop reports. This comes at an inconvenient time as Midwest farmers are in harvest season. [KCUR]

For more on the impact in Kansas City, head to KCUR.

---

Louisiana

• The National Flood Insurance Program, or NFIP, is managed by FEMA and provides flood insurance to those who don’t have a private option. It has grown in size as most homeowner’s insurance policies across the U.S. have dropped flood damage entirely. It covers nearly half a million Louisianans. Policyholders with expiring contracts could lose coverage and funds to pay claims have dropped $30 billion due to the shutdown. [WWNO/WRKF]

For more on the impact in Louisiana, head to WWNO/WRKF.

---

Missouri

• Families enrolled in the Missouri WIC program — which provides supplemental food, nutrition education and support to low-income women and children — will not be immediately impacted by the shutdown. [St. Louis Public Radio]
• The Gateway Arch and Old Courthouse in downtown St. Louis are temporarily closed, with National Park Service work largely on hold. [St. Louis Public Radio]

---

New Hampshire

• There are more than 5,000 civilian federal employees in New Hampshire, at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, the Manchester VA Medical Center, the White Mountain National Forest, the Berlin federal prison, the passport processing center at Pease and at other federal agencies. How the shutdown might affect them isn’t entirely clear. [NHPR]
• The White Mountain National Forest will remain open, but some say earlier staff cuts are hampering critical activities. Firefighting and disaster response activities will also continue, according to federal officials. [NHPR]

For more on the impact in New Hampshire, head to NHPR.

---

NPR’s Padma Rama and Emily Alfin Johnson edited this piece.