WASHINGTON — Negotiations to avert a prolonged U.S. federal government shutdown unraveled Tuesday, October 1, prompting the White House to signal impending layoffs amid deepening partisan rifts.
As funding lapsed at midnight, federal agencies began shuttering operations, marking the first such impasse since a grueling 35-day closure in 2019 during President Donald Trump’s initial tenure. The breakdown stemmed from Senate Democrats’ refusal to back a temporary House-approved measure that would have restored government functions through late November, allowing time for broader fiscal talks.
Democrats, galvanized by public outcry over lapsing subsidies for low-income health coverage, have leveraged their votes to press for concessions. They insist Republicans abandon proposed austerity measures, particularly those targeting health programs, before endorsing any stopgap. Without the necessary 60-vote threshold in the evenly divided Senate where GOP leaders hold a slim majority but require eight Democratic crossovers the bill faces certain defeat.
The fallout is acute: An estimated 750,000 civilian federal workers face furloughs, meaning unpaid leave until operations resume. Frontline personnel, including active-duty military members and border enforcement officers, must continue duties sans immediate compensation, potentially delaying paychecks as early as next week. Everyday services, from national park access to routine permitting, grind to a halt, fueling widespread frustration among constituents.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt underscored the administration’s aggressive posture, stating to reporters that officials are coordinating with departments nationwide to pinpoint reductions, adding, “We believe that layoffs are imminent.” This aligns with Trump’s push for sweeping conservative reforms, including department consolidations that could convert temporary furloughs into permanent dismissals.
Tensions boiled over in a White House briefing, where Vice President J.D. Vance substituted for Leavitt and lambasted Democrats’ stance. “They said to us, ‘We will open the government, but only if you give billions of dollars of funding for health care for illegal aliens.’ That’s a ridiculous proposition,” Vance declared. Yet federal statutes explicitly prohibit such benefits for undocumented individuals, and Democrats have stopped short of advocating legislative changes.
The acrimony extends beyond the Capitol. Trump has taken to social media to deride Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, while Democrats decry the administration’s erosion of public institutions. For visitors like Terese Johnston, a 61-year-old former tour guide from California, the spectacle is disheartening. “I think our government needs to learn how to work together for the people and find a way to make things not happen like this,” she remarked amid the empty halls of Capitol Hill. “You compromise. You find ways. So everybody gives a little bit, everybody takes a little bit, and things work.”
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