Washington,USA – 

The US Government shutdown lurched into its fourth day with budget negotiations in Washington, D.C., remaining locked in a fierce impasse. The legislative deadlock in the Senate, which has been the first federal shutdown since 2019, ensures that hundreds of thousands of federal workers face a weekend of uncertainty, and essential government services will continue to be disrupted until at least Monday. The failure of Congress to pass a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government before the fiscal year deadline has set the stage for a prolonged political standoff.

The current crisis stems from deep partisan divisions over federal spending, with healthcare provisions proving to be the main sticking point. Senate votes on Friday once again failed to advance either the Republican or Democratic proposals, with both sides refusing to budge on their core demands.

Voting Fails, Shutdown Guaranteed for Weekend

In a key vote on Friday afternoon, the Senate failed to advance the Republican-backed bill, which would have funded the government until November 21, on a tally of 54 to 44—six votes short of the 60 required to overcome the Democratic filibuster. Separately, an earlier Democratic counter-proposal that included a substantial package of healthcare spending was also blocked by the Republican majority.

Following the failed votes, the Senate adjourned until Monday afternoon, effectively guaranteeing the shutdown will continue into the start of next week. In a further sign of hardening positions, House Speaker Mike Johnson announced that the House of Representatives would be on a district work period until October 14, putting pressure on the Senate to pass the Republican bill and signalling a likely prolonged shutdown.

The Heart of the Impasse: Healthcare and Cuts

The political standoff is centered on two highly contentious issues: healthcare subsidies and Republican-driven cuts to social welfare programs.

 * Healthcare Subsidies: Democrats have firmly refused to support any stopgap measure unless it addresses health insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which are set to expire later this year. They are pushing for an extension of the premium tax credits to keep health insurance affordable for millions of Americans.

 * Medicaid and Spending: Furthermore, Democrats are demanding the reversal of significant cuts to Medicaid—the health insurance programme for low-income Americans—that were enacted in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” passed earlier in the year. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated these provisions could cut approximately $840 billion from Medicaid spending over the next decade.

 * Rescissions and Foreign Aid: The Democratic bill also aims to limit the White House’s ability to use “pocket rescissions” to unilaterally gut foreign aid and other appropriated funds, a power that has already been used to freeze funding for transit projects in Democratic-led areas.

Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress, are insisting on a “clean” continuing resolution that maintains current funding levels and excludes the Democratic healthcare demands, viewing the funding lapse as a political tool to achieve their goals of shrinking the federal government.

Immediate Impact Hits Furloughed Workers and Public Services

As the stalemate continues, the cost to the economy and the public is mounting rapidly. An estimated 750,000 to 800,000 federal employees have been furloughed, with more than 700,000 essential workers, including many in public safety and national security, remaining on the job but forced to work without pay. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the daily cost in lost compensation alone for furloughed employees is around $400 million.

The disruption to public services is already evident:

 * Furloughs and Layoffs: The White House has indicated that permanent layoffs of federal workers are “imminent,” a shift from past shutdowns where workers were typically furloughed with a promise of back pay.

 * Health and Research: Non-essential functions have been suspended, including new patient enrolment for clinical trials at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), delays in drug approvals at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and limited operations at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

 * National Parks and Travel: National parks remain partially open but unstaffed, raising concerns about potential damage and a halt to visitor services. While air travellers are still largely able to move through airports, staffing shortages among TSA and FAA employees, who are working without pay, risk longer wait times and potential delays.

 * Social Assistance: Though core programs like Social Security and Medicare payments continue, many non-essential functions, such as benefit verifications and administrative support, are either slowed or suspended, and vital programs like WIC face potential funding shortages if the shutdown extends beyond a week.

The legislative break over the weekend provides little hope for a rapid resolution, with the political gamble by both parties threatening to prolong the uncertainty for citizens and the global economy well into the following week.

Headline Points

 * Third Day Standoff: The US government shutdown, which began on October 1, 2025, has entered its third day with no sign of a political breakthrough.

 * Legislative Failure: The Senate failed to advance both the Republican and Democratic funding proposals on Friday, guaranteeing the shutdown will continue until at least Monday.

 * Key Issues: The impasse is primarily over Democratic demands for the inclusion of healthcare provisions, including the extension of expiring ACA premium tax credits and the reversal of recent Republican cuts to Medicaid.

 * Furloughed Workers: Approximately 750,000 federal employees are furloughed, with a further 700,000 essential staff working without pay, amidst warnings from the White House of potential permanent layoffs.

 * Service Impact: Non-essential services, including most research at the NIH and FDA, student loan processing, and most National Park services, are halted or severely disrupted.