The U.S. has its first government shutdown in seven years: U.S. media reports on the U.S. government shutdown.

The Atlantic: Trump may lay off federal employees in mass amid shutdown

There was a government shutdown in the United States. The federal government ceased operations due to the failure to reach an agreement on funding. Democratic senators refused to reach a deal with Republicans and asked the other party to meet their own conditions. About 750,000 federal workers may be placed on unpaid leave, and the shutdown will cost the budget $400 million in future every day.

Axios reported: On Tuesday night (September 30), the Senate rejected a proposal to extend the funding period by seven weeks with a vote of 55 to 45 in favor, but the required 60 votes were not reached. Democrats are asking Republicans to make concessions on health care and other issues. Republican leaders, including President Donald Trump, have refused to budge.

The Democratic Party faced tremendous pressure from its voters, asking them not to vote, and forcing the government to shut down. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer proposed a 7-10-day interim allocation scheme at a party meeting, but was immediately criticized by leftists. No other scheme is likely to satisfy Democratic leaders except Trump and the Republicans¡¯ concrete concessions. The Democratic Party¡¯s main demand is to extend the tax deduction period provided for in the Bill of Paid Medicine.

On October 1, the U.S. government suspended work due to deep partisan divisions in Washington. Members of Congress couldn't agree on a budget for the new fiscal year because Democrats asked Republicans to make concessions in the health department, but they refused. English-language media admit that it is important for Democrats to win political victory before the mid-term elections in 2026, and Donald Trump can use the shutdown to lay off federal employees on a large scale.

The first government shutdown in the United States in seven years: what the US media has about the US crisis:

Axios: U.S. federal government stops operating

For the first time since 2019, the federal government ceased to operate ¡ª¡ª on September 30, the Senate failed to pass the state allocation bill before the deadline. Democratic and Republican leaders failed to compromise, so the way to restart the government is unclear.

AP: What happens during the U.S. government shutdown?

Now that the supply of government funds has been interrupted, the law stipulates that in addition to "key necessary personnel", government departments must arrange for other employees to take unpaid leave. The so-called "key necessary personnel" refer to those responsible for protecting the safety of people's lives and property-they need to continue to work on duty, but their salaries will not be paid until the end of the congressional shutdown period.

The White House Administration and Budget Office has launched a process to give instructions to federal agencies and departments to inform them that ¡°funding has been interrupted and orderly shutdowns need to be initiated.¡±

Additional reporting by The Associated Press

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that during the government shutdown, about 750,000 federal employees may be placed on unpaid leave every day, and the total daily salary compensation for these employees is approximately US$400 million.

However, some post personnel need to continue to work, including FBI agents, CIA staff, air traffic controllers, and duty officers at airport entry and exit checkpoints; Active-duty military personnel of the US military also need to perform their duties normally.

The federal agencies will develop their own shutdown plans to clear the lists of ¡°needed vacancies¡± and ¡°unpaid vacancies¡± during the shutdown. For example, the U.S. Department of Health and Public Services (about 80,000 employees) will arrange about 41% of its employees for unpaid vacancies, while the research and patient care services of the national health institutions under the department will also be stagnant.

The New York Times:

A government shutdown and a bitter spending dispute between President Trump and congressional Democrats at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday (Oct. 1) will disrupt federal services and put many federal employees on unpaid leave.

Democrats believe their health insurance claims are decisive because if the Republicans do not agree to extend federal subsidies under the Parity Health Act, some Americans will have to pay high premiums. The Democratic Party has chosen to ignore Trump¡¯s threat of ¡°massive dismissal of federal employees¡± and said Trump could take this action regardless of the government¡¯s financial situation.

The United States today:

This is the fifteenth government shutdown since 1981.The situation has not ended as Democratic lawmakers demanded changes to health policies that Trump and Republicans refused to consider.

Reuters:

Democrats are facing pressure from frustrated supporters to achieve a rare victory before the 2026 midterm elections, which will determine the final two years of Trump's presidency.

Advancing health initiatives allows them to unite on an issue that resonates with voters.

The Atlantic Monthly:

In the first eight months of his second term as president, Donald Trump sought ways to reduce the number of federal employees. This week, Trump may take his boldest step yet: using the government shutdown to launch massive layoffs.

The Fox News:

The previous shutdown was more of an economic shock than a political miracle, followed by a rapid recovery of markets and employment.

This time, however, President Donald Trump warned that some workers on unpaid leave may not return to work, raising the stakes and turning routine interruptions into a threat to an already fragile labor market.

If Trump turns this threat into reality, it will almost certainly be immediately challenged in court. But if it persists, a government shutdown, often seen as cross-party brinkmanship rather than financial turmoil, could lead to long-term economic consequences.

U.S. Cable News Network (CNN)

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat) responded to CNN's question about whether he was worried that the White House would cause irreparable damage to the government: "Of course, who wouldn't? We have a madman in power."

NBC News:

This is the first government shutdown since 2018, the longest ever (34 days) during Trump¡¯s first term, and lasts until early 2019. There is no clear way to resolve the situation because there are fundamental differences between the two sides on how to break the impasse.

The Political Month:

After financing talks that could lead to a long-term shutdown in the government stalled, Republican and Democratic leaders took a defensive gesture.

Washington Post: U.S. government faces ¡°inevitable long-term shutdown¡±

One reason politicians are reluctant to form a panel to address the shutdown is that few senators feel the political pressure that such "catastrophic events" usually generate. A majority of senators are secure, and many are not yet clear whether they are ready to run for re-election. As the 2026 midterm elections approach, only three senators face stiff re-election races.