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The United States officially entered what is known as a "federal shutdown" today (Wednesday) after Congress failed to pass the federal funding bill, leading to a halt in operations at federal departments and agencies and forcing hundreds of thousands of employees into unpaid leave.

For the first time in 7 years, the U.S. government shut down after midnight on Tuesday-Wednesday (local time) due to the Senate's failure to pass an agreement to extend government funding, raising concerns in Washington about how long the government shutdown might last. President Donald Trump threatened irreversible actions, including mass layoffs of federal employees.

Hours before the shutdown, Senate Republicans failed to pass a government funding bill, after Democrats had previously introduced another bill that did not garner enough votes for approval.

What happens after the shutdown?

The last government shutdown occurred in 2018-2019 and lasted 35 days, during which about 380,000 of the approximately two million employees who were working were placed on unpaid leave, while about 420,000 employees continued to work without pay. Many of them had to postpone mortgage payments or credit card payments, putting them at risk of incurring late fees or defaulting on loans.

Under the law, essential activities to protect life and property, such as military operations, law enforcement, and food inspections, will continue. The president must continue to perform his constitutional duties, so most of the White House remains operational, and salaries for members of Congress must be paid under the 27th Amendment to the Constitution.

Democrats are to blame

For her part, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that law enforcement officials in the department will continue their work throughout the "shutdown caused by the Democrats."

She pointed out that there are several entities, including the Federal Reserve and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, that are not funded through the annual appropriations approved by Congress and can continue to operate relying on their own funding sources.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Security Administration are expected to continue providing essential safety functions and will not stop.

Travelers will face delays, as air traffic controllers and Transportation Security officers will work without pay, which has led to increased absenteeism in previous shutdowns.

Regular military personnel are exempt from unpaid leave and continue to report for duty without pay. Most civilian employees at the Department of Defense will initially be placed on unpaid leave.

The government is shut down

House Speaker Mike Johnson blamed Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for failing to rally Democrats behind the Republican funding proposal. Johnson said in an interview with CNN that he would not negotiate with Democrats until the government is reopened, stating, "There is nothing to negotiate." He questioned how long Chuck Schumer would keep the government shut down.

For his part, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced that Democrats are still willing to negotiate on a government funding bill, saying, "We are saying let’s fund the government... let’s sit down."