The government shutdown has lasted 15 days — and counting.
Republicans and Democrats appear no closer to an agreement to reopen it. The Senate again tried — and failed — Wednesday to advance a bill to reopen the government. It was the chamber’s ninth attempt since the shutdown began on Oct. 1 to vote on a short-term funding bill passed by the House.
The Trump administration has been following through on threats to slash the size of government during the shutdown, laying off thousands of workers late last week. A hearing in federal court today considered the legality of those layoffs; the judge overseeing the case issued a temporary restraining order directing the Trump administration to pause RIF notices to federal employees who are members of two unions, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).
President Trump has said he plans to fire more federal workers en masse while the shutdown continues and will specifically target what he called “Democrat programs.”
While active military members were set to miss their first full paycheck on Wednesday, over the weekend President Trump said he “identified funds” to ensure the active military gets paid. The Defense Department will use “approximately $8 billion” of unused research and development funding from last year to pay service members if the government doesn’t reopen by Oct. 15, according to a Pentagon official not authorized to speak publicly. That would likely only cover one pay cycle and military families are already seeking additional assistance from food banks and other groups to help with paying bills.
As the shutdown drags on, here’s the latest on 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. Some 24 million people — who don’t have insurance through their jobs or a public program like Medicaid — use the system to buy health plans.
Prominent Republican lawmakers have claimed the Democrats are looking to provide tax dollars to help pay for the heath care of undocumented immigrants. That is not true.
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 health care 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.
Plus, why Democrats are casting the government shutdown as a health care showdown.
— Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR
What about WIC and SNAP benefits?
Among the first to feel the pinch during this shutdown could be the 7 million mothers and young children who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) food program. Funding was estimated to run out after about two weeks. But USDA has distributed money from the previous fiscal year, helping at least some states. And the White House has said it will use tariff revenue to keep WIC afloat, though has provided few details. When asked for more information, the White House referred NPR to USDA, which did not reply to a query. Trump’s budget proposal earlier this year had looked to cut WIC funding.
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 funded through October. That’s because the debit-like cards people use to buy food are loaded a month in advance, so benefits will continue for October. But in a memo seen by NPR, USDA last week told state agencies to hold off paying for November benefits for lack of sufficient funding, “until further notice.”
— Jennifer Ludden, NPR
And what about school lunches?
Some state agencies say they may not have the funds to reimburse schools providing free and low-cost meals.
Diane Pratt-Heavner, a spokesperson for the School Nutrition Association, says some agencies have told her organization they don’t have the money to pay schools back for meals during the shutdown.
“There is a strong commitment on both sides of the aisle to make sure that kids have access to healthy meals at school, so we are hopeful that the administration and Congress will act before this becomes an issue.”
Before the shutdown, USDA released a contingency plan outlining funds states could tap into to cover any gaps. A USDA spokesman did not directly answer NPR when asked whether the agency intends to advance funding to state agencies should the shutdown persist. Instead, the spokesperson blamed the Democrats for “causing real harm to American farmers, ranchers, and rural communities.”
— Kadin Mills, 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.
IRS furloughs nearly half its staff
A contingency plan from the Treasury Department says that slightly more than half of the IRS’ approximately 74,000 workers remain on the job and will continue to work for the foreseeable future. Some IRS employees were issued reduction in force, or RIF, notices on Friday and posted screenshots of those notices informing them of their last day, Dec. 9.
The contingency plan says nearly all of those employees who continue to work will be paid using sources other than annual appropriations, which are on hold during the shutdown. Tasks will include completing and testing systems to handle next year’s tax-filing season, and maintaining computers to prevent the loss of data.
— Scott Horsley, Andrea Hsu and Stephen Fowler, NPR
Teachers and schools won’t be directly impacted, but federal education functions might
Eighty-seven percent of Department of Education employees have been temporary furloughed, as detailed in agency shutdown contingency plans.
Layoffs particularly gutted the office responsible for overseeing special education, according to multiple sources within the department. The RIF affects the dozens of staff members responsible for roughly $15 billion in special education funding and for making sure states provide special education services to the nation’s 7.5 million children with disabilities.
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 suing the Trump administration for inserting the language into employees’ out-of-office email messages.
— Shannon Bond and Cory Turner, 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.
The The National Zoo and other Smithsonian facilities also closed on Sunday. “All the animals at the Zoo and at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, will continue to be fed and cared for,” the Smithsonian said. “A shutdown will not affect our commitment to the safety of our staff and standard of excellence in animal care.”
The zoo’s animal cams, however, are considered nonessential and will be turned off for the remainder of the shutdown.
— Alana Wise, NPR
Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security benefits will continue
Social Security, VA and other benefits will continue. But on Friday, employees at Social Security field offices said the government shutdown has left them unable to carry out an important service for some recipients. As NPR’s Ashley Lopez reports, workers say they are unable to provide benefit verification letters to people calling in to request them. These official letters act as a sort of income verification and are therefore key to obtaining aid like housing assistance, fuel assistance and help from nonprofits.
As NPR’s Scott Horsley reports some furloughed employees at the Labor Department are coming back to work, in order to complete the September inflation report, which is a key ingredient used to calculate the cost of living adjustment that Social Security recipients will receive next year.
Read more on how a fight over health policy led to the government shutdown from NPR’s Selena Simmons-Duffin.
But some fair housing offices have been gutted as part of the shutdown RIFs
More than 300 Housing and Urban Development employees received layoff notices over the weekend, according to a tally by AFGE National Council 222, a union that represents HUD workers. A HUD spokesperson says the layoffs are to “align programs” with the Trump administration’s priorities. The agency did not provide specifics, but a union tally finds nearly a third of those cut are people who investigate allegations of housing discrimination.
HUD union steward Paul Osadebe says the layoffs appear to gut some entire offices — in Atlanta, Kansas City, Fort Worth and Denver. They come on top of previous major cuts to HUD’s fair housing staff.
— Jennifer Ludden, NPR
There could be missed paychecks and lost jobs
Perhaps the biggest impacts will be felt by federal workers who are set to miss their first full paycheck during the government shutdown later this month. President Trump on Saturday said he had “identified funds” to make sure the active military does not miss its Oct. 15 paycheck, but absent a breakthrough in Congress it remains unclear how the military would be paid beyond that.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates 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, thousands of employees across several federal agencies began receiving RIF notices last week.
Last week, Trump appeared to publicly back a draft White House memo that includes an argument for denying workers pay, despite a 2019 law intended to ensure federal employees are compensated after a shutdown. When pressed on the legality of such a move, Trump said, “What the law says is correct, and I follow the law.”
Ian Morgan is a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland and the leader of a local federal worker union. He told WAMU’s Jenny Abamu he wants any budget deal to include protections for federal workers and the services they provide. Morgan also wants Congress to guarantee back pay for federal contractors he works closely with — many of whom will not receive pay while the government is shut down.
Read more about how federal workers are finding their voice during the shutdown.
ICE will mostly continue uninterrupted
Immigration cases and enforcement are proceeding as usual during the government shutdown, with a few small exceptions. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin confirmed that the employees in the Office of Detention Oversight, which inspects immigration detention centers, is currently not working. “We hope Democrats will open up the government swiftly so that this office can resume its work,” McLaughlin said.
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.
The U.S. Coast Guard, which is housed within DHS, will continue to be paid, according to a social media post from Secretary Kristi Noem, from funds appropriated in the reconciliation bill earlier this year.
— 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.
Travelers across the U.S. are beginning to feel the impacts of the government shutdown, as air traffic control staffing shortages disrupt flights across the country.
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
- The U.S. Transportation Department says it has secured funding to continue the Essential Air Service program, subsidizing routes to 65 Alaska communities and more than an additional 100 communities nationwide, through Nov. 2. [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 she would not spend state funds to keep Grand Canyon National Park open should the government shutdown. [KJZZ]
- Social services in Grand Canyon Village are gearing up to support non-essential employees at Grand Canyon National Park, including food pantry resources. [KNAU]
- 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]
- Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport joined a handful of other airports across the country that have refused to display a video from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blaming Democrats for the government shutdown. [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 Sept. 30 — the afternoon before the government shut down. 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]
- Unemployment claims from Colorado’s federal workers are surging amid the U.S. government shutdown. Stephanie Rogers, a Colorado-based microbiologist with the Food and Drug Administration, told CPR she filed for unemployment the day after the shutdown started. [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]
Georgia
- For federal workers living paycheck to paycheck, one option to get through being furloughed could be filing for unemployment insurance, Georgia Labor Commissioner Barbara Rivera Holmes said. The employees will have to pay the benefits back once the shutdown ends and they receive back pay, but the benefits can help them make ends meet while they are not being paid. [GPB]
- Georgia farmers could also face delays in block grant funding and commodity data they rely on during the time-sentitive season of planting and harvesting. [NPR]
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.
Illinois
- Three workers who spoke with the Chicago Sun-Times said they haven’t been furloughed, but they’ve dealt with uncertainties and fragmented coordination since the federal government shut down Oct. 1 on top of a year of uncertainty. [Chicago Public Media]
Maine
- Even though much of the staff of Acadia National Park in Maine has been furloughed, it was a popular weekend at the park. [Maine Public]
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]
- On Oct. 7, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., the veteran appropriator who has helped broker past bipartisan deals, told NPR, she has been working behind the scenes with senators from both parties to “find common ground.” [NPR]
For more on the impact in New Hampshire, head to NHPR.
North Carolina
- After the federal government shutdown cut staffing and services at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, local governments and nonprofits in the region stepped up to foot the bill and keep the park open during the peak fall season. The funds should keep the park open through Oct. 19. [WUOT]
North Dakota
- The state-owned Bank of North Dakota is partnering with local banks and credit unions to provide short-term low interest loans to federal government employees and members of the armed services stationed in North Dakota, if they experience financial hardship because of the federal government shutdown. [Prairie Public]
For more on the impact in North Dakota, head to Prairie Public.
Oklahoma
- With the federal government shut down, National Park rangers are not present at the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum. Victims, family members and first responders are stepping in to educate visitors on the location’s story. [KOSU]
Oregon
- The federal government program used to subsidize commercial flights in Pendleton got a last-minute reprieve from grinding to a halt due to the partial government shutdown. But as of Wednesday, immediate answers on how that might affect Eastern Oregon’s only commercial airport are in short supply. The municipally operated Eastern Oregon Regional Airport in Pendleton holds the only Essential Air Service (EAS) contract in the state, a federal program that helps rural airports operate. [OPB]
Pennsylvania
- Tens of thousands of Pennsylvania-based federal workers furloughed during the government shutdown may be eligible for unemployment compensation through the state Department of Labor & Industry. [WITF]
Tennessee
- After the federal government shutdown cut staffing and services at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, local governments and nonprofits in the region stepped up to foot the bill and keep the park open during the peak fall season. The funds should keep the park open through Oct. 19 [WUOT]
- On Oct. 7, the FAA notified local officials in Nashville that flights in and out of Nashville International Airport (BNA) would be reduced Tuesday afternoon due to a shortage of air traffic controllers during the government shutdown. Nashville’s airport was back to normal by Wednesday morning. [WLPN]
Texas
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees who inspect cargo at the 32 other official ports of entry are among the essential federal workers who must remain on the job unpaid. The longer the shutdown lasts, the greater the risk of cargo backups at these Texas ports due to unpaid employees calling in sick. [Houston Public Media]
Utah
- In Ogden, Utah, about 10 percent works for the IRS, and when federal workers stop getting paychecks, impacts are felt quickly and broadly. (KUER)
Washington
- On Oct. 6, state officials say they have enough to cover WIC for the next two weeks. Seattle and King County have partnered to dedicate nearly $2 million to provide one-time vouchers to an estimated 30,000 clients in King County who rely on WIC. [KUOW]
- The Employment Security Department says the 80,000 federal workers in Washington State may qualify for unemployment benefits. [OPB]
Wyoming
- On Oct. 3, Gov. Mark Gordon said Wyoming will cover gaps in funding to federally funded state employees who are in the state budget “in the short-term.” [Wyoming Public Media]
For more on the impact in Wyoming, head to Wyoming Public Media.
NPR’s Padma Rama, Emily Alfin Johnson and Heidi Glenn edited this piece.