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How does a government shutdown end? Process, timeline, and what happens next

Updated on: Oct 01, 2025 10:37 AM IST

A US government shutdown ends only when Congress passes and the President signs appropriation bills; bipartisan agreement is required.

The United States government is heading for a shutdown at 12:01 p.m. on Wednesday, with efforts to pass a bill to keep the government funded failing to reach an agreement between the Democrats and Republicans in the Senate. With a last-ditch attempt at a vote on a stopgap funding bill failing with a 55–45 vote count, now a shutdown looks inevitable.

A shutdown message on the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) website arranged on a smartphone at the US Capitol in Washington, DC.(Bloomberg)

The shutdown comes after a disagreement between the Republicans and the Democrats over the Medicaid cuts in Trump's new funding bill, dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill.' Democrats want a reversal of the Medicaid cuts and an extension of the tax credit on health insurance premiums, making them more affordable. But the Republicans have been refusing to relent.

The stalemate takes the US back to seven years ago in Trump's first term as President, when the last government shutdown was implemented. It lasted for 35 days before Trump relented. The POTUS was then asking for money from the Senate to build the US-Mexico border, which the Senate refused to pass.

How Does A Government Shutdown End?

However, that would mean the Republicans and the Democrats in the House will have to agree on the terms, a possibility that looks increasingly uncertain. Notably, when the last shutdown came from December 22, 2018, to January 25, 2019, it lasted for 35 days, the longest in US history.

 
Stay updated with US News covering politics, crime, weather, local events, and sports highlights. Get the latest on Donald Trump and American politics also realtime updates on Indonesia ferry fire.
Stay updated with US News covering politics, crime, weather, local events, and sports highlights. Get the latest on Donald Trump and American politics also realtime updates on Indonesia ferry fire.
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