A bitter funding clash between President Trump and Democrats has triggered a government shutdown, paralysing services, fuelling partisan blame, and reviving fears of prolonged political dysfunction.
The United States has entered a government shutdown after funding negotiations collapsed between President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats, leaving much of the federal system paralysed and thousands of workers without pay.
The shutdown began at midnight on Wednesday when temporary funding bills put forward by both Republicans and Democrats failed. Each side proposed stopgap measures to keep the government running until 21 November, but neither gained the support needed. The impasse means most federal operations are closed, though essential services such as defence, immigration, border control, and air traffic safety remain unaffected.
The key sticking point is funding for social programmes, particularly healthcare. Democrats have demanded the restoration of cuts, accusing Republicans of attempting to roll back protections at a cost to ordinary Americans. Republicans, however, insist the Democratic proposals would burden the economy with more than $1 trillion in new spending.
Despite Republicans holding a majority in both chambers, Senate rules require 60 votes to move a funding bill forward — a threshold they cannot reach without Democratic support. A fresh round of Senate votes is scheduled, though expectations of a breakthrough are minimal.
Vice President J.D. Vance, speaking on Fox News, criticised the deadlock, stating: “You don’t shut the government down, you don’t take the government as a hostage, because you want to engage in a negotiation about healthcare costs.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer countered that Republicans had “not negotiated at all,” while House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries joined him in condemning the shutdown as a direct result of Trump’s refusal to compromise.
The political crisis has revived memories of the last major shutdown during Trump’s earlier tenure, which stretched for 35 days between December 2018 and January 2019 — the longest in US history. With prospects for a deal dim, Washington faces another prolonged period of dysfunction, with ordinary Americans likely to bear the brunt of the fallout.
