U.S. government shutdown since Oct 1, 2025

The shutdown is about whether Democrats will be an opposing party or will capitulate to fascism.

Read: Trump Digs In On Anti-Trans Provisions In Shutdown Fight Message: The provisions are becoming a key sticking point in the ongoing fight to keep the government open. Erin Reed, Sep 23, 2025

"Nationally, the government is hurtling toward a shutdown, with Republicans demanding dozens of anti-LGBTQ+ riders—from bathroom bans on military bases to a sweeping federal funding ban on transgender care that could gut access nationwide. The fight hit a breaking point two days ago when Trump canceled negotiations with Democrats, citing in part their refusal to enshrine anti-trans discrimination into law. Where that standoff ends is uncertain." as Erin Reed (Sept 26, 2025)

Read: Republicans Start Shutdown Payback As White House Blocks Blue State Funds The Trump administration announced a hold on a New York infrastructure project and threatened more layoffs for federal workers. Arthur Delaney and Igor Bobic, HuffPost, Oct 1, 2025

“.. This is the risk of shutting down the government and handing the keys to Russ Vought,” the Senate majority leader said .. @politico.com www.politico.com/live-updates...

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— Carl Quintanilla (@carlquintanilla.bsky.social) October 2, 2025 at 10:05 AM

MIKE LEE: Russ Vought has been dreaming about this moment since puberty MIKE JOHNSON: Russ Vought does not enjoy this responsibility

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) October 2, 2025 at 10:07 AM

Bonica used to have to analyze data to show this kind of pattern, but now they just come out and say it

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— Jake Grumbach (@jakemgrumbach.bsky.social) October 2, 2025 at 2:18 PM

Read: Legal Experts Call Trump’s Response To The Shutdown ‘Extremely Alarming’ Federal workers must walk a free speech tightrope while the Trump administration openly flouts the rules. Brandi Buchman, HuffPost, Oct 2, 2025

Also:

"The White House suggested Tuesday that furloughed federal workers won’t necessarily get paid when the government eventually reopens, contrary to a law signed by President Donald Trump in 2019.

"The law states that all furloughed workers “shall be paid for the period of the lapse in appropriations,” also known as a government shutdown." (HuffPost, Oct 7)

Will Bunch reminds us in the Philadelphia Inquirer ("Why we can’t allow Trump to ban that other f-word," October 5, 2025):

"Too many lawmakers, and journalists, refuse to understand the fascist moment because their salary depends on not understanding it. But I’ve been struck this weekend by how one prominent political figure is actually getting it — properly framing the current government shutdown as more than a squabble over healthcare but a fight for democracy.

“Listen, I don’t think we’re asking for too much in that we are telling the president that if you want us to sign onto a budget, it can’t be a budget that funds the destruction of our democracy,“ Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy told the New Republic’s essential Greg Sargent last week. ”I would be a sucker to agree to a budget that literally funds an operation to hunt me and my allies down — to imprison us, harass us, intimidate us.""

Image caption: Christians in the Roosevelt Room in the White House, Oct. 29, 2019. Official White House photo by Joyce Boghosian.

Margaret Sullivan, in American Crisis, Oct 5, 2025, says that "the larger story" is that "Democrats are determined to prevent huge increases in Americans’ health care costs by standing firm." And, while "the mainstream press is largely playing its usual “both-sides at fault” game...Americans nevertheless do understand the reality." Unfortunately:

"“Partisan bickering” was a favorite phrase in news alerts. Headlines featured how Democrats and Republicans “trade blame” and we heard a lot about “dueling measures.”

Here’s one from CBS News on Sunday that was typical enough: “Johnson, Schumer accuse each other of not being serious about negotiations as shutdown stretches into another week.”

These words are factual, but they fail to get the bigger picture across. They are accurate but not truthful in a larger sense."

The Republican shutdown means that nonessential federal employees like soldiers and TSA agents aren't being paid anymore, but rest assured that the truly vital work of this administration -- building a Dancing with the Stars ballroom for the dementia-addled president -- still goes on.

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— Kevin M. Kruse (@kevinmkruse.bsky.social) October 20, 2025 at 1:55 PM

Independent C-SPAN caller to Rep. Mark Alford: "You're taking credit for $50b that you just gave to the hospital industry. That's after you took away $150b. You don't take credit for just giving back a little bit of money after taking away so much. So quit lying. It just makes you look horrible."

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) October 10, 2025 at 8:42 AM

Despite allegedly trying to save money, in early October, Trump promised a $20 billion loan to Argentina, contingent on President Javier Milei staying in power, then doubled it, adding the second $20 billion on October 15. Bessent says bailout for Argentina will double to boost U.S. influence in region: The Trump administration is arranging another $20 billion infusion from banks and sovereign wealth funds to prop up the flailing Argentine peso. Jacob Bogage, David J. Lynch and David Feliba, Washington Post, October 15, 2025

This is why the Republicans chose Mike Johnson. The reason is skypoop.

"...another important reason why this will likely become the longest government shutdown ever and stretch on with no end in sight: President Donald Trump has usurped Congress’ power to appropriate and direct government spending and refuses to give it back. In doing so, Trump has broken any semblance of trust that Democrats may have that his end of any deal they strike will be honored after a bill is passed." (Paul Blumenthal, HuffPost, Oct 25, 2025)