The federal government officially shut down at midnight on Tuesday after Congress failed to pass a funding bill, marking the first government shutdown since 2019.

The impasse has left hundreds of thousands of federal employees either furloughed or working without pay, national parks closed, and critical services, including immigration courts and federal lending to small businesses and homebuyers, suspended, as political leaders trade sharp accusations over who is to blame.

At the heart of the crisis lies a deep partisan divide over healthcare policy and budget priorities. Republicans, who control the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives, pushed for a short-term continuing resolution to extend current funding levels for a further seven weeks.

However, Democrats refused to support the measure without protections for Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) subsidies, arguing that Republican proposals would jeopardise healthcare access for millions.

With the Senate requiring at least seven Democratic votes to overcome procedural hurdles?and none forthcoming?the funding bill collapsed, triggering the shutdown.

Who?s affected and who isn?t

While the term ?government shutdown? suggests total paralysis, many essential services continue under longstanding legal interpretations. Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid payments will flow uninterrupted. Air traffic controllers, TSA agents and National Weather Service staff remain on duty?though without pay. Veterans? health services and passport processing also continue.

But non-essential functions have ground to a halt:

National parks: Over 430 sites are largely closed, with gates locked and visitor centres shuttered.

Small businesses and homebuyers: Federal loan programmes, including those from the SBA and FHA, are paused.

Immigration system: Thousands of court hearings have been postponed, adding to already massive backlogs.

Federal agencies: Employees at the EPA, Department of Education and HUD face furloughs or unpaid work.

Amtrak and major museums such as the Smithsonian will remain open for now using reserve funds, but a prolonged shutdown could force closures.

Blame game intensifies

Within minutes of the midnight deadline, both parties launched aggressive public campaigns to assign responsibility.

Republicans, led by House Speaker Mike Johnson, pointed the finger squarely at Democrats. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Johnson wrote:

?Democrats have officially voted to CLOSE the government. Mums and kids lose WIC nutrition. Veterans lose health care... How long will Chuck Schumer let this pain go on?for his own selfish reasons??

The White House amplified this message, adding a live ?shutdown clock? to its official website with the banner: ?Democrats Have Shut Down the Government.?

Democrats, however, countered that with full control of government, Republicans?and President Donald Trump?bear ultimate responsibility. In a joint statement, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries declared:

?After months of making life harder and more expensive, Donald Trump and Republicans have now shut down the federal government because they do not want to protect the healthcare of the American people.?

Prominent Democrats echoed the sentiment. Vice President Kamala Harris posted: ?Republicans are in charge of the White House, House and Senate. This is their shutdown.? Senator Kirsten Gillibrand urged Republicans to ?prioritise American families over billionaires.?

Trump?s contradictory stance

President Trump, who has previously engineered shutdowns to pressure Congress on border security, offered a mixed message. At a Tuesday event, he claimed, ?The last thing we want to do is shut it down,? but added provocatively:

?A lot of good can come down from shutdowns. We can get rid of a lot of things that we didn?t want? Democrat things.?

Experts say Trump is betting on a political strategy that frames the shutdown as leverage?not failure. ?This is classic Trump: no compromise, just finger-pointing and threats,? said Natasha Lindstaedt, professor of government at the University of Essex. She noted that Trump has previously sought to make furloughs permanent as part of broader civil service cuts.

Public opinion hangs in the balance

With both sides digging in, public perception may decide the political fallout. ?Who the public blames is really up for grabs right now,? said one economist following the crisis. Historically, the party perceived as inflexible suffers most?but with control of all levers of power, Republicans may struggle to deflect accountability.

Democratic strategists argue they?ve positioned the fight as one over healthcare and democracy itself. ?They?re trying to say this isn?t just about budgets?it?s about whether working families get a fair shot,? said strategist Maria Cardona.

Meanwhile, Republican strategist Noelle Nikpour insisted Democrats are obstructing bipartisan solutions: ?We only need five more Democrats to cross the aisle.?

What happens next?

Past shutdowns have ended through temporary compromises or public pressure?such as the 2019 impasse that concluded after air traffic controllers called in sick, disrupting flights nationwide.

For now, negotiations remain stalled. Democrats say they?re ready to talk?but demand a ?credible partner.? Republicans show no sign of budging on healthcare concessions.

As federal workers brace for missed pay cheques and families face service disruptions, the clock ticks on a crisis that threatens not just government operations?but the fragile trust in America?s political system.(Jogo News)

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