The first United States government shutdown since 2018 began October 1 at midnight EST due to the Senate’s votes still being deadlocked on an annual funding bill, which finances national services and their workers.
The shutdown comes the day after President Donald Trump told reporters that a halt seemed likely, threatening that there would be “a lot” of federal workers laid off as a result.
Trump blamed Democrats for halting health care bills, which he attributed to their desire “to be able to take care of people that are coming to our country illegally.” He further expressed that “no system can handle that.”
One of the major causes for concern within the government is how long the stalemate will last. The last time Trump was in office was when the last and longest shutdown in U.S. history occurred, pausing the government and its services for 35 days, according to ABC.
“What we’re seeing is both sides are playing to their base,” said Frank Lavin, former Republican White House aide and Fall 2025 Parikh Family Fellow. “Their base rewards pugnacity and even likes to some extent, friction or defiance.”
Lavin believes the shutdown is “episodic,” and though unhelpful, shouldn’t have drastic effects if it only lasts a day or two.
The Senate remains under the voting threshold of 60 to pass the vote, having received only 55 votes, as most Democrats are refusing to back the bill, claiming that it will make it harder for Americans to access healthcare. One Republican also voted no in the latest vote.
The government shutdown could cause federal workers to be furloughed and freeze funding to medical research.
Student loans may also be impacted by delays caused by the shutdown, according to USA Today.
Giovanni Hernandez, a first-year graduate student studying biomedical engineering, said he was not surprised by the outcome.
“It has been very cyclical, every time the deadline comes around,” Hernandez said. “It just shows a lot about the current political division in Congress.”
Hernandez added the potential for the administration to use this opportunity to “do deeper cuts” to funding, jobs and grants.
Risha Panigrahi, a first-year computer science major, said she knows a lot of people who “are very dependent on financial aid.”
“This is a very scary time for a lot of vulnerable people,” she said.
Kennedy Holley, a freshman neuroscience major, echoed sentiments surrounding how a government shutdown could impact financial aid.
“People worrying about when [financial aid] is going to come in or help them out is stressful,” Holley said. “It all feels very panicked and very rushed. It worries me that maybe they’re not focusing on the right issues.”