At midnight Oct. 1, the U.S. government shut down for the 11th time in history. Government shutdowns occur when Congress fails to pass an appropriations bill to fund federal operations.
In this case, there were disagreements about what to fund, such as healthcare. Democrats advocated for expanding healthcare subsidiaries for people covered under the Affordable Care Act, and they’d suggested giving them tax breaks. Republicans opposed this and claimed the Affordable Care Act subsidies would be given to illegal immigrants, a claim that has since been debunked. There were also disagreements over proposed budget cuts to multiple health-related government agencies.
For spending bills, 60 votes are required in the U.S. Senate. With only hours left to fund the government in the Senate, the Republican-backed appropriations bill failed with a 55-45 vote, resulting in the government shutting down.
When a government shuts down, funding for federal agencies and departments is halted, which leaves millions of federal employees without pay, even if they are required to continue working. Some essential services continue, such as air traffic control, border security, social security, Medicare and other safety and emergency services. However, people working in these jobs generally do not receive pay. It has been estimated that over 750,000 Americans who work for the federal government have been placed on leave until the shutdown ends. This includes thousands in Connecticut, such as employees at the Coast Guard Academy and submarine builders in the New London area.
Even when the shutdown ends, some workers could lose their job permanently as Pres. Donald Trump has threatened to lay off workers and not hire replacements. One of his campaign promises was to also reduce government spending which he and Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Russell Vought have tried doing. The White House has also tried to blame the Democratic Party for causing the shutdown, going as far as using official White House websites such as the top of the U.S. Department of Justice website, which read recently: “Democrats have shut down the government.” Additionally, the White House has also cut funding toward projects in 16 states, including Connecticut, where the majority of residents voted for Kamala Harris in 2024.
Despite efforts by the White House to blame the Democratic party, a poll from The Washington Post showed that 47% of respondents blamed Trump and Republicans in Congress, 30% blamed Democrats in Congress and 23% were not sure. Another statistic from the poll said that 50% of independent voters blamed Trump and Republicans in Congress, while, by comparison, only 22% of independents blamed Democrats in Congress. Some blamed both parties such as Dean Pagani, a communications professor and former communications director and chief of staff to former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland.
Pagani said, “The current shutdown shows that our leaders in Congress have lost the ability to compromise for the greater good. Both sides are dug in on issues they think will help them get re-elected and they are not focused on how to solve the country’s problems.”
“Shutdowns have been taking place more frequently in recent years because both sides see political advantage in the messages the shutdowns create. Democrats are forcing this shutdown because they think it is helping them make healthcare an issue in the next election. Republicans are not compromising, because they want to paint Democrats as obstructionist.”
Within Connecticut, concerns have risen since the shutdown began. Connecticut’s Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management Jeffrey Beckham warned that, for example, food assistance programs could begin having trouble delivering food to people if the shutdown continues to the end of the month.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, however, gave a more optimistic view of the situation. He said that the state is in good shape when it comes to continuing programs and providing services for people in need. Lamont also blasted Congress over the shutdown and said in a CT Mirror article, “These guys in Washington [have] got to get their act together.”
During the shutdown, nonprofit organizations that receive federal funding such as Gather New Haven, an organization that promotes agriculture and community bonding, have been trying to rely on community donations as well as state and city funding. In some locations, Gather grows its own vegetables for distribution.
Concerns on campus have also been raised since the shutdown began.
Janiya Burton, a sophomore game design and interactive media major, said “I’m shocked and worried for these people who do rely on the government for things like food stamps, child care, other stuff because they’re going to have to struggle more to get food, like for single mothers, plus those who need food stamps to feed their children.”
