As the clock winds down to September 30, a U.S. government shutdown could be just days away as lawmakers clash over key funding measures. Congressional leaders are set to meet President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday to try and bridge the gap, following a canceled session earlier in the week at the urging of Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune.
Funding at a Glance
Every year, Congress must pass 12 appropriations bills to finance federal discretionary spending for the next fiscal cycle. For fiscal year 2026, none of those bills has cleared both chambers, pushing the risk of a total shutdown ever closer. Under Senate rules, Republicans—despite a 53-seat majority—need at least seven Democratic votes just to move a bill past debate.
Stuck in the Impasse
Democrats are demanding healthcare subsidies and other policy riders. Republican leaders want a short-term extension paired with extra security funding. On Tuesday, Trump blasted Democratic demands as unserious and ridiculous and canceled a planning meeting, prompting Democrats Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries to warn: Time is running out.
A New Approach to Shutdown
In a shift from past playbooks, the Office of Management and Budget issued a memo telling agencies to consider termination notices for employees in programs that lose funding. Instead of furloughs, the Trump administration is signaling it may fire workers—a move that could upend job security for a civil service already strained by budget cuts.
Lessons from the Last Shutdown
The longest shutdown on record ran from December 2018 to January 2019—35 days—leaving roughly 800,000 federal workers furloughed or working without pay. This time, core operations in immigration, border enforcement and defense would continue under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, but many agencies and services could be disrupted if talks collapse once more.
With each side digging in, the coming hours will test whether political brinkmanship or compromise will set the tone for the next chapter of U.S. governance.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
