The US government has officially shutdown after Congress failed to agree on a budget deal, leading to furloughs for about 40% of Department of Health and Human Services employees and impacting critical services nationwide. Experimental therapy enrollment at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda is halted, although care continues for current patients. The CDC will maintain disease outbreak monitoring but will suspend research on health risks.
Shutdown
The Education Department faces significant disruption, with 87% of staff furloughed, suspending investigations into civil rights violations and halting new federal grants. The department has already been reduced from 4,100 employees to 2,500 since President Trump’s administration began.
President Trump has threatened mass layoffs of federal workers as a negotiation tactic, while political analysts suggest the short shutdown may not severely impact essential services like law enforcement, military, and social security. However, prolonged closure over two to three weeks could lead to economic contraction. Many federal employees will face temporary financial hardship, though back pay is expected after the shutdown ends.
