The U.S. federal government remains without funding two weeks into the shutdown, after the Senate on Tuesday rejected a Republican proposal to keep the government running until November 21. The measure failed to reach the 60 votes needed for passage, with 49 senators voting against and 45 in favor, marking yet another setback in efforts to end the deadlock.

Root of the Shutdown

The current government shutdown began on October 1, when Congress failed to approve either a new budget or a stopgap funding measure before the end of the 2025 fiscal year on September 30. The lapse in funding triggered the first government shutdown since 2019.

The dispute centers on deep policy disagreements: Democrats are pushing to extend health insurance subsidies and reverse cuts to Medicaid, while Republicans insist on maintaining current spending levels. Neither side has shown signs of compromise, prolonging the fiscal standoff.

Essential Services Still Operating

Under U.S. law, when Congress fails to pass a budget, only “essential” government services continue to operate. This means personnel in the military, intelligence agencies, public hospitals, and airports remain on duty. However, employees in non-essential services are placed on unpaid leave and will not receive their salaries until a new budget is approved.

The ongoing shutdown is already affecting hundreds of thousands of federal workers and disrupting various government operations, while political leaders remain locked in a partisan stalemate over the nation’s fiscal priorities.