Government Shutdown Sparks Uncertainty

By Melvin Najarian Nov. 12, 2025

The U.S. government shut down on Oct. 1. Every week since then, an estimated $15 billion has been drained from the economy, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. More importantly, he warns, the halt in federal operations is beginning to impede important government-backed services that directly support millions of Americans. The impact is especially evident in healthcare, as federal funding for Affordable Care Act subsidies has stalled, leading to a disruption of health coverage for the roughly 24 million Americans who rely on the program per Harvard Kennedy School.

Jane Hong Art

According to the Brookings Institution, a government shutdown occurs when Congress fails to approve the revenue bills that sustain federal agency operations. Due to the Antideficiency Act of 1884, agencies are not allowed to spend money without congressional approval. As long as members of Congress cannot reach an agreement on all 12 annual spending bills, most nonessential departments are required to stop operations until the dispute is resolved. Similarly, the Small Business Administration that processes new non-emergency loans, national parks, and National Institute of Health have been on freeze during the shutdown.

However, essential government services, including national defense, air traffic control, border security and law enforcement, continue during shutdown. This means the employees in these areas must work without pay until Congress passes a funding bill. Disaster relief efforts also remain active. Programs that operate independently of yearly budgets, such as Social Security, Medicare and the U.S. Postal Service, continue running.

Currently, Republicans hold a majority in both chambers of Congress but fall short of the 60 Senate votes needed to pass the budget on their own, giving Democrats a stronger position in negotiations. Democrats have firmly opposed the bill, insisting on reversing Republicans’ Medicaid cuts and broadening health care tax credits. They argue that these measures are necessary to keep healthcare affordable for millions of Americans. Republicans, on the other hand, accuse them of refusing to compromise. House Speaker Mike Johnson says Democrats are to blame for closing the

government and harming families and veterans, while Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats counter that Republicans under Trump have chosen to shut down the government by threatening to destroy healthcare for millions of Americans.

“Government shutdown will be atrocious. The longer our budget is delayed, the longer programs and services will be put on hold. This gridlock is due to political polarization. If the Democrats and Republicans fail to compromise on passing the budget, our entire country will face the consequences, regardless of political party. Democrats should hold out for a while, but prolonged government delays are always detrimental to our society and economy,” Senior Chengmin Xu said.

The government had previously shut down under the Trump administration in late December 2018. The closure, which stretched for 35 days, became the longest in U.S. history and began from a dispute over funding for a wall along the Mexican border. It ended only after significant disruptions, including air traffic controllers missing pay and calling in sick. The Congressional Budget Office later estimated that the 2018-2019 shutdown cost the economy $11 billion, with roughly $3 billion in losses never to be recovered.

Jane Hong Art

As the present-day shutdown continues, roughly 1.4 million federal employees are working without pay. On Oct. 14, a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s plan to lay off roughly 4,000 employees after Commented [1]: already stated how many votes fell

short labor unions such as the American Federation of Government Employees and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees challenged the decision in court.

According to the Government Executive, documents filed by the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), showed that nearly 1,760 reduction-in-force notices were sent to staff. About 780 of those notices were issued by mistake due to data and processing errors, officials said. The agency said it was cancelling those incorrect notices. Union representatives for the CDC reported that around 1,300 employees at the CDC had initially received layoff notices, though about 700 of them were withdrawn the next day. The White House has said it will appeal the judge’s order.

“I doubt Congress will reach a compromise anytime soon. The ongoing gridlock in Washington shows how deep the political polarization runs. To prevent future shutdowns, lawmakers must work together on bipartisan budgets and be held accountable when they fail to serve their duty,” Junior Sophia Liao said.

As the shutdown continues to reap uncertainty for millions of workers, communities and organizations are stepping up to help. Groups of current and former federal employees have created online spreadsheet listing organizations that offer support to workers missing paychecks during the government shutdown. Maryland’s government has initiated the Federal Shutdown Loan Program, a no-interest loan program designed to help unpaid government employees maintain financial stability; Washington D.C. has also introduced their Talent Capital initiative to help former federal workers find jobs and career support. Mayor Muriel Bowser of D.C. reminded federal employees that this crisis is not their fault and emphasized that the city would continue to operate by keeping schools open, maintaining parks, and ensuring public safety.

Bowser’s message communicates a broader message of hope across the nation, showing that even in times of political division, communities and local officials remain committed to supporting one another.

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About the Contributors

Melvin Najarian

staff writer

Melvin Najarian is a senior at Leland High School and a staff writer. He likes playing tennis, listening to music, and hanging out with friends. His favorite band is The Smiths.

Jane Hong

creative director

Jane Hong, a senior at Leland High School, is the Creative Director of The Charger Account. She loves good food and long naps, but when she’s not recharging, you’ll probably find her dancing or binging the latest K-dramas.