As negotiations to end the U.S. government shutdown failed Wednesday when Senate Democrats adjourned without reaching an agreement with President Donald Trump, about 750,000 federal employees are scheduled to be placed on furlough, a type of leave without pay, until operations restart.
According to reports, hundreds of thousands of federal employees are concerned about the development.
Notably, federal government funding ran out at midnight on Wednesday when Trump and Congress couldn’t agree on a temporary solution, causing agencies to stop providing services.
If the standoff continues, the White House has already threatened to fire public sector employees.
While vital services like border security and the military will continue, many employees might be forced to work unpaid and run the risk of not getting paid by next week.
Concerns about air safety have also been brought up; following the return of over 2,300 members, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association issued a warning about potential hazards.
According to reports, Democrats’ refusal to support a package that was passed by the House and would have kept the government open for several weeks is what caused the shutdown.
Before any short-term agreement is accepted, Democrats are calling for the extension of health care subsidies for low-income families.
“They told us, ‘We will open the government, but only if you provide billions of dollars for illegal aliens’ medical care.'” In a rare White House briefing, Vice President JD Vance told reporters, “That’s a ridiculous proposition,” accusing Democrats of exploiting the issue.
Democrats counter that their proposals are not about safeguarding undocumented immigration, but about helping vulnerable families. Anger has been growing at the grassroots level over what detractors say is Trump’s willful destruction of government institutions.
States Trade Accusations, White House
According to White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, the administration was already determining which agencies could be removed. “We think there will be layoffs soon,” she told reporters.
The Department of Energy said that it would shut down clean energy projects, primarily in states with Democratic majorities.
Russell Vought, a White House official, charged that the projects were part of “the Left’s climate agenda.”
Governor Kathy Hochul denounced the Department of Transportation’s announcement in New York that it has frozen about $18 billion in federal funds for infrastructure projects as “political payback.”
Senate Deadlock Persists
The Senate needs 60 votes to approve a temporary funding plan that Republicans in the House reportedly cleared to keep the government operating into late November.
Earlier in the week, GOP leaders only managed to obtain three crossover votes, but they needed eight Democrats to join them.
Hopes for a speedy agreement diminished on Wednesday as Democrats remained steadfast.
In commemoration of Yom Kippur, Congress will not convene on Thursday. While the House won’t meet again until next week, the Senate is anticipated to return on Friday and could remain in session through the weekend.
The shutdown serves as yet another reminder of Washington’s dysfunction for a large number of regular Americans.
“You make concessions. You figure things out. Terese Johnston, a 61-year-old retired tour guide who was in the capital, remarked, “Everyone gives a little bit, everybody takes a little bit, and things work.”
