The U.S. federal government failed to pass a budget by the end of the 2025 fiscal year and has ultimately entered a "shutdown" (partial work stoppage). The shutdown began at 12:01 a.m. on the 1st (Eastern Time, 1:01 p.m. on the 1st Korea time), the first in about seven years.
On the 30th (local time), the U.S. Senate put the Republicans' seven-week continuing resolution (CR) to a vote on the final day of negotiations to avoid a shutdown, but it failed, 55 in favor to 45 against. As a result, the federal government has moved toward a shutdown.
The Republican CR is a short-term funding bill to run the government through Nov. 21 while Congress debates the 2026 fiscal year budget after the end of the 2025 fiscal year (Sept. 30). For the Republicans (53 seats) to secure the 60 votes needed to pass the bill, at least seven Democrats (47 seats) had to support it, but they failed to secure enough yes votes.
A temporary funding bill introduced by Democrats that day was also brought to a vote but was voted down.
The shutdown is in accordance with the "Antideficiency Act," which governs congressional control over fiscal expenditure, and during this period the government temporarily halts operations except for essential functions. Among federal government employees, a substantial number, excluding essential personnel related to ▲ national security ▲ public safety ▲ constitutional functions, have gone on unpaid leave.
With furloughed employees not receiving pay, economic damage will occur, and some public services will be suspended, so inconvenience to the public is also expected to be significant.
Previously, the federal government experienced a shutdown from Dec. 22, 2018, to Jan. 25, 2019. The cause was then-President Trump's veto of the bill, saying there was insufficient funding to build a wall on the border with Mexico. The resulting economic damage amounted to $3 billion (about 4.2 trillion won).
That day, Russell Vought, Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), after the Senate failed to pass the budget, reportedly urged government agencies in a memo that "agencies that will be affected must now execute their contingency plans" and that "federal employees should report to work on the 1st and carry out the shutdown process in an orderly manner."
The White House Office of Management and Budget has said that if a shutdown materializes, it will move to reduce staff, focusing on departments that do not align with the administration's policy priorities.
President Trump has hinted that if a shutdown occurs, he will fire large numbers of federal employees performing duties that do not align with his policy priorities, pressing Democrats who are calling for an extension of subsidies for Obamacare payments to compromise.