The United States government has officially shut down for the first time in nearly seven years after Congress failed to reach a last-minute deal on federal funding.

The shutdown began at midnight after rival Democrats and Republicans refused to compromise on healthcare spending. A Democrat-led proposal to extend government funding fell by 53–47 votes in the Senate, while the Republicans’ counter-bill secured 55 votes—five short of the 60 needed to avoid a shutdown.

As a result, hundreds of thousands of federal workers deemed “non-essential” could be furloughed or laid off. Critical services such as Social Security payments and postal services will continue but may experience delays due to reduced staffing. National parks, museums, and other public services are also expected to close.

The White House’s budget office confirmed the shutdown, directing affected agencies to execute contingency plans. In a statement, the administration blamed Democrats, calling their position on Medicaid funding “untenable.”

The opposition, however, argued that the Republicans’ proposal did little to address the country’s pressing healthcare crisis. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Republicans of “taking federal workers hostage,” while Senate Majority Leader John Thune countered that Democrats were obstructing progress.

President Donald Trump took a hard line, suggesting that the shutdown could provide an opportunity to eliminate certain government programmes.

“The last thing we want to do is shut it down, but a lot of good can come down from shutdowns,” Trump said. “We can get rid of a lot of things that we didn’t want, and they’d be Democrat things.”

He also warned of possible mass firings of federal workers and cuts to benefits tied to Democratic-backed programmes if the deadlock continued.

Talks between Trump and Schumer earlier in the week ended in a stalemate, with both sides admitting “large differences” remained. For now, the shutdown has left Washington gridlocked and federal workers uncertain about their future.