Federal operations halt as hundreds of thousands face furloughs, though essential services like military and FBI remain active.
The US federal government entered shutdown on October 1 at 12:01 AM local time, marking its first in nearly seven years after the Senate rejected bipartisan funding bills. The shutdown forces hundreds of thousands of federal employees into furloughs or layoffs, with many services ceasing operations. OMB Director Shalanda Young instructed agencies to implement orderly shutdown procedures. Essential departments including the military, FBI, Homeland Security, FAA, and Postal Service will continue functioning.