Impact of US Government Shutdown: What You Need to Know

Fri Oct 03 2025 03:10:29 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

As the federal government shuts down, millions of Americans face disruptions in travel, federal employment, and public services. This article explores the implications of the budget impasse across various sectors.

The US government is now in shutdown mode due to unresolved budget issues, affecting travel, national parks, and federal employees. About 750,000 workers are being furloughed without pay, which will lead to longer airport lines and disruption in services like healthcare and food assistance. National Parks may remain open with limited supervision, raising concerns about safety and preservation.

The US federal government has shut down after Republican and Democratic lawmakers failed to resolve a budget stand-off. The impasse affects the funding of government operations throughout October and beyond, and is poised to cause widespread disruption for Americans in areas ranging from air travel to zoo visits.

The political gridlock is also expected to put 40% of the federal workforce – about 750,000 people – on unpaid leave. This is how its impact could be felt across the US.

Your next flight

A federal shutdown could hit flyers in a variety of ways, leading to long security queues and delays caused by unpaid air traffic controllers choosing to stay home rather than work for free. Air traffic control and Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) workers are considered 'essential', so they will continue to go to work but will not be paid until the shutdown ends. During the last shutdown in 2018-2019, these workers increasingly began to call in sick, leading to delays that had a ripple effect across the country.

Americans planning to travel abroad could also be impacted, with US passport agencies warning that it could take longer than usual to process travel documents.

No work - or pay - for federal workers

Federal employees are expected to be hardest hit as they will not receive any paychecks while the shutdown continues. Law enforcement officers will continue to work through the government shutdown, though more than 200,000 of them will do so unpaid.

Some workers may choose to take second jobs, as they have done during previous shutdowns. Employees who are not deemed essential will be forced to stay at home, but historically, these workers have been paid retroactively.

National Parks with no staff

Federal lands, including National Parks and National Forests, have been closed off to visitors during past shutdowns, since the rangers and other employees were asked to stay at home. During the last shutdown, the Trump administration decided to leave parks open amidst little to no staffing, leading to vandalism and environmental damage.

Healthcare and food assistance

Medicare and Medicaid will continue, but staffing shortages could cause interruptions. Food assistance programs like WIC are expected to run out of funds quickly while the SNAP program is at risk of being affected if the shutdown continues.

Mail will still arrive

The US Postal Service remains unaffected by the shutdown and will continue operations as it is funded through the sale of products and services rather than tax dollars.