The Government is Shut Down Again

In 2011, then businessman and television personality Donald Trump told NBC, “If there is a government shutdown, I think it would be a tremendously negative mark on the president of the United States.” 14 years later, as the president of the United States, Trump has been in office for the two longest government shutdowns in history, including the one the United States is currently in. President Trump’s first shutdown came in 2019, sparked by an impasse over his demand for a $5.7 billion border wall between the United States and Mexico. That standoff lasted 34 days–the longest in U.S. history–and ended on January 25 without any funding for the wall. This year’s shutdown is only about a week away from becoming the new longest in history, and with it comes worries that the government might not resume operation anytime soon. 

What is a Government Shutdown? 

A government shutdown occurs when the Republicans and Democrats in the government cannot come to an agreement that funds government services. The United States is the only country in which a government shutdown is relatively normal–instead, other countries implement short-term solutions such as continuing to operate along the previous year’s budget or, in some extreme cases, even hold new elections so a new government that is willing to compromise can come in and pass a resolution. 

Impact on Federal Workers

Government shutdowns tremendously affect federal workers. During a shutdown, many workers are furloughed, meaning they are placed on unpaid leave of absence. There are currently ~650,000 furloughed workers, and an additional 750,000 who are unpaid but remain at work.

For many, the financial strain has been immediate. Sally is a federal employee who has been furloughed during this year’s shutdown and has already had to pull from her savings account in order to pay her bills. “With the government shutdown, I am not getting paid… I didn’t have enough in my checking account to pay my normal monthly bills,” she says. “I’m lucky to have savings to draw from. That’s not the case for many government employees.”

Another employee described a similar struggle that undermines their family’s economic stability. “We’ve had to pull from savings to cover our mortgage, groceries, and bills. My family’s sense of financial safety has been compromised,” he says.

Typically, furloughed workers receive back pay when the government reopens, but even that assurance feels uncertain. “The longer this continues, the more critical it is that we receive back pay,” Sally adds. “Yet President Trump is threatening to limit it to only certain employees. Without pay for weeks, people won’t be able to afford rent or groceries.”

The financial uncertainty is compounded by emotional exhaustion. Thomas, a federal employee whose pay has been suspended during the shutdown, vividly describes the psychological toll it has taken on him. “The best analogy I can think of [for how I feel right now] is a canary in a coal mine; I see the dead birds at my feet, but have no recourse but to stay put and take a deep breath of air, not knowing if it is safe or will be my last,” he says. His remarks capture the unfortunate sense of uncertainty and helplessness shared by many federal workers caught in the shutdown’s crosshairs.

That sense of helplessness, echoed by countless others, underscores how this shutdown is testing not only workers’ finances but their faith in the system meant to protect them.

Impact on Federal Agencies

In addition to impacting the employees financially and personally, government shutdowns also impact the work of the agencies that employ them. One agency hit by the shutdown is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which was expected to furlough nearly 90 percent of its staff. But according to Frank, an EPA employee who has been furloughed, the EPA had funds saved up that they could use to continue paying workers. “[The] EPA did not spend all of its appropriated funds. The agency has been able to use unspent funds to continue paying staff to work on deregulation,” he says.

As a result of spending these extra funds, only a few regional offices and about half of headquarters have been furloughed so far. However, Frank warns that the layoffs are far from over. “More is coming,” he says. Thankfully, Frank projects no long-term effect on the agency’s work as a result of the shutdown. “The shutdown may delay some deregulatory actions by a few months but will not materially change long-run pollution levels,” he says.

Major public health agencies like the National Institute of Health (NIH) have also seen significant staff cuts, with nearly 75 percent of NIH being furloughed. Suzanne Ryan, a Scientific Review Officer at NIH, worries that the shutdown may interfere with progress towards potential life-saving breakthroughs. "[The shutdown is] delaying the funding of new scientific projects, slowing progress towards advancing health,” Ryan says. “No new patients are being enrolled in life-saving clinical trials conducted at NIH. These clinical trials are sometimes the last hope for people with life-threatening or rare diseases.” 

The consequences of the shutdown at NIH are immediate and profound–stalled research means delayed treatments, disrupted careers, and fewer options for patients in need. Each day the government remains closed, the toll grows, setting back medical progress and endangering lives.

Food safety is another potential cost of the government shutdown. Carlos is an employee at the office of The Office of Food Safety and Inspection Service in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), who echoes Ryan’s concerns about lost research. “We have had to stop all ongoing research. The data allows researchers to identify trends to address basic research questions or to develop new diagnostics or therapies, such as vaccines,” he says. Like many other agencies, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has been forced to put vital work on hold–a stark reminder of the shutdown’s broad and unsettling impact.

Impact on Smithsonian Museums

Smithsonian museums, research centers, and the National Zoo are also closed during a shutdown. Leslie Umberger is the Senior Curator of Folk and Self-Taught Art at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Like many other federal employees, she is currently furloughed and her museum is closed. 

Umberger claims that the shutdown has paused an exhibition she has been planning since 2016. “Since the shutdown went into effect before we were able to open the doors to the public, the exhibition sits unfinished, and people who traveled to Washington or made plans to see it have not been able to do so,” Umberger explains. The closure of the museums has put important cultural projects like hers on hold, disrupting years of work and disappointing visitors who had planned to see them.

Impact on Federal Contractors 

A federal contractor is a company or person that is paid by the government to provide a specific good or service. During a government shutdown, a contractor’s financial situation depends heavily on how their contract is structured. Mario works as a contractor in the astrophysics department at NASA, where he is still being paid. “The funding source that I am on is still viable for some time so I have yet to

miss a paycheck,” he explains. Contractors whose contracts have already been funded remain paid during a shutdown, while contractors whose contracts rely on current-year funding are not paid.

During a shutdown, unlike federal employees, federal contractors are still expected to work normal working hours. While Mario’s pay has not been compromised, his work has been hindered by the shutdown. “As NASA facilities are closed it is not possible for me to access the laboratories and specialized facilities needed for my work,” he says. “Hence, I need to work remotely which means many tasks cannot be done.” Many contractors like Mario face similar problems, finding it much harder to complete their work during a shutdown. 

It is clear that federal employees, agencies, and contractors are all heavily impacted by a government shutdown, making it increasingly important that the shutdown ends quickly.

How long could it last?

During the 2019 shutdown, while it took time, a resolution always seemed within reach, Carlos recalls. “I was with the U.S. Department of Agriculture during the 2019 shutdown…our children were just babies, and I remember feeling scared. At the time, it was the longest shutdown in history.”

This time, Carlos does not share the same optimism toward the shutdown ending. “There was a sense it would end at some point. The main difference between these two is the feeling of numbness. This year, there is no end date in sight.” 

Frank also foresees the shutdown lasting for a while. “There is no dialogue at all happening between the Democrats and Republicans to try to solve this current impasse,” he says. This lack of communication has fueled fears that the current shutdown could stretch longer than any before. 

The fight now centers on cuts to Medicaid–the federal health assistance program whose budget Trump has significantly thinned in his second term. Democrats are pushing to extend expiring tax credits that make health insurance more affordable for millions of Americans, as well as to reverse the Medicaid reductions. With Republicans lacking the 60 votes needed in the Senate to advance their budget, Democrats have leverage to press those priorities.

Still, some federal employees believe this shutdown represents something deeper than a policy dispute. Miranda is a federal employee who was furloughed during the 2019 shutdown and is currently furloughed. She believes that this year’s shutdown feels as though there is more going on than a policy disagreement. “I have been through several shutdowns, including the [2019] one,” she says. “Shutdowns cause real harm to so many people and do so in ways that the average American will never be aware of. In prior shutdowns, such harms felt like unfortunate side effects of the political fight. This one feels like causing people harm is the goal.”

As the deadlock drags on, that sentiment captures a growing unease among federal workers and the public alike–that this shutdown is less about negotiation and more about inflicting pain, no matter the cost.