US Government Shuts Down as Senate Talks Collapse

WASHINGTON

The United States federal government has shut down after Senate negotiations collapsed late Friday, ending weeks of talks aimed at preventing a lapse in funding and triggering widespread disruptions across federal agencies.

The shutdown began at midnight after lawmakers failed to pass either a full-year spending package or a short-term funding measure to keep the government operating. The breakdown followed a series of failed votes in the Senate, where partisan divisions over immigration policy, health care provisions, and budget priorities proved insurmountable ahead of the deadline.

Senate leaders from both parties had been negotiating a stopgap funding bill in the final hours, but the proposal fell short of the 60 votes required to advance. Republican-backed measures were blocked by Democrats, while Democratic alternatives failed to gain enough Republican support, leaving no viable path forward before funding expired.

As a result, non-essential federal operations were ordered to shut down, forcing hundreds of thousands of federal employees into furloughs. Many others, including air traffic controllers, border agents, and members of the armed forces, are required to continue working without pay until funding is restored.

The White House placed blame squarely on Congress, accusing lawmakers of failing to meet their constitutional responsibility to fund the government. Administration officials said the shutdown was avoidable and warned that prolonged disruption would harm public services, national security, and the broader economy.

At the center of the Senate stalemate were disputes over immigration enforcement and health care funding. Democrats insisted that any funding agreement include limits on immigration authorities and extensions of expiring health care subsidies, while Republicans rejected what they described as unrelated policy demands tied to basic government operations.

Efforts to break the impasse by separating Department of Homeland Security funding from the broader spending package also failed, as disagreements over border enforcement and oversight provisions persisted. With neither side willing to concede, talks unraveled shortly before the deadline.

The shutdown has already begun to affect public-facing services. National parks and federal museums are expected to close or limit access, regulatory agencies have paused inspections and approvals, and some government-backed research programs have been suspended. Federal contractors also face uncertainty as payments are delayed.

Financial markets reacted cautiously, with analysts warning that extended shutdowns can weigh on economic growth and investor confidence. Economists estimate that each week of a shutdown can shave billions of dollars from the U.S. economy, particularly if disruptions extend beyond Washington into local communities reliant on federal spending.

Congressional leaders signaled that talks would resume, but no immediate breakthrough appeared likely. House lawmakers, some of whom were out of session as the deadline passed, are expected to return to Washington in the coming days, raising the possibility that the shutdown could stretch on unless a compromise is reached quickly.

Previous government shutdowns have ended with retroactive pay approved for furloughed workers, but federal employee unions warned that even temporary income gaps can cause lasting financial strain for families living paycheck to paycheck.

The current shutdown revives memories of past funding standoffs that dragged on for weeks, intensifying public frustration with political gridlock in Washington. Polls following previous shutdowns showed declining trust in Congress, as Americans blamed partisan brinkmanship for disruptions to essential government services.

As negotiations restart, pressure is mounting on lawmakers to reach an agreement that can pass both chambers and be signed into law. Until then, the federal government remains partially closed, with millions of Americans caught in the middle of another high-stakes political showdown over funding and policy priorities.

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