On Oct 1, 2025 at midnight, the United States government shut down. This has happened a number of times before, but the shutdown has rarely lasted this long. The current longest government shutdown was 35 days during 2018 under the presidency of DonaldTrump. If the shutdown continues, it will pass this previous record in 5 days as of Oct 30, 2025. A government shutdown is caused by a disagreement in congress over what should be funded for the year. If this agreement is not reached, the government will go into a shutdown. For many Americans this will not affect their lives much, what this shutdown mainly affects is federal organizations and employees.

As of right now, there is not a clear answer to how much the shutdown has cost the government so far, sources like NBC News say it has cost “about $7 billion per month”, while others such as Politico say as much as “$14 billion, according to a new report”. The previous government shutdown that lasted 35 days under President Trump’s presidency was estimated to cost $5 billion according to Wikipedia, so we can assume the costs are similar right about now. The senate is very separated as of now, Democrats want to continue to fund Medicaid and food assistance such as SNAP benefits, while Republicans want to prioritize funding for national security and law enforcement. 

One interesting dynamic of this conflict is that currently Republicans hold the majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, meaning much of the legislation that Democrats would want to pass if the government re-opens will likely not pass, while most of the legislation the Republicans would present after the shutdown will likely pass. Because of this, there is a deadlock of power where neither side wants to give in, meaning that the shutdown could last a long time. Based on the Republican’s desire to fund national security and law enforcement, it is possible that the shutdown ends around November 15, 2025, this is due to the fact that military funding is estimated to run out by mid November which is one of the Federal Government branches that is a key priority to the Republican Party which might prompt the consideration of the Democratic Party’s request.

Another factor worth considering is the economic and social ripple effects that extend past the federal workforce. While many Americans feel removed from the consequences right now, long term shutdowns can begin to disrupt everyday life in subtler ways. National parks often close or reduce services, which leads to a decline in tourism revenue in surrounding towns. Scientific research funded by federal grants may also have delays which can set back medical studies, climate change research and technological inventions. Airports would potentially feel this strain the most over time as TSA agents and air traffic controllers are working without pay, increasing the potential for staffing shortages or safety concerns. Additionally, federal loan processing, passport services, and housing assistance have in the past slowed greatly during these shutdowns, which affects students, travelers, and low income families who rely on systems like these. As the shutdown continues to stretch on, these secondary effects begin to accumulate, which creates a growing pressure from the public for Congress to find a compromise. This outside pressure can become a major influence on both parties, especially as people become more and more frustrated with the lack of progress. This means lawmakers have to choose whether to continue with their political strategies, or the real world impacts on the people who elected them.

Article by Sol Eclipse