The U.S. entered its 15th government shutdown since 1981, halting critical services, furloughing 750,000 workers, and costing $400 million daily as President Trump warns Democrats the standoff could accelerate massive job and program cuts.
Washington ground to a halt on Wednesday as deep partisan gridlock between Congress and the White House triggered a sweeping government shutdown, the 15th in modern U.S. history.
The shutdown immediately shuttered large portions of federal operations. Among the most visible effects: the September employment report will not be released, air travel is expected to slow, scientific research is suspended, and 750,000 federal employees face unpaid furloughs — with losses mounting at nearly $400 million per day.
President Donald Trump, who has already set in motion plans to cut 300,000 federal jobs by December as part of his campaign to radically reshape the government, used the moment to increase pressure on Democrats. He warned that a prolonged standoff could pave the way for “irreversible” cuts to jobs and programs, framing the shutdown as a proving ground for his long-term agenda of shrinking Washington’s bureaucracy.
With no resolution in sight, Americans now face a drawn-out crisis that could rattle financial markets, disrupt public services, and deepen mistrust in government. Analysts caution that the damage could outlast the shutdown itself, particularly if Trump leverages the impasse to pursue permanent downsizing of federal agencies.
The immediate question remains whether congressional leaders will blink first — or whether this standoff will redefine the balance of power between the presidency and federal institutions.Washington ground to a halt on Wednesday as deep partisan gridlock between Congress and the White House triggered a sweeping government shutdown, the 15th in modern U.S. history.
The shutdown immediately shuttered large portions of federal operations. Among the most visible effects: the September employment report will not be released, air travel is expected to slow, scientific research is suspended, and 750,000 federal employees face unpaid furloughs — with losses mounting at nearly $400 million per day.
President Donald Trump, who has already set in motion plans to cut 300,000 federal jobs by December as part of his campaign to radically reshape the government, used the moment to increase pressure on Democrats. He warned that a prolonged standoff could pave the way for “irreversible” cuts to jobs and programs, framing the shutdown as a proving ground for his long-term agenda of shrinking Washington’s bureaucracy.
With no resolution in sight, Americans now face a drawn-out crisis that could rattle financial markets, disrupt public services, and deepen mistrust in government. Analysts caution that the damage could outlast the shutdown itself, particularly if Trump leverages the impasse to pursue permanent downsizing of federal agencies.
The immediate question remains whether congressional leaders will blink first — or whether this standoff will redefine the balance of power between the presidency and federal institutions.
