Another government shutdown looms — what’s different about it this time around?
The U.S. government is once again about a week away from a potential shutdown. But it’s different this time as President Donald Trump’s second term unfolds. Here's what we know.
The U.S. government is once again about a week away from a potential shutdown. But it’s different this time as President Donald Trump’s second term unfolds.
While a full shutdown has been narrowly avoided by deadline in recent history, experts say that the likelihood of a stopgap being implemented in time seems slimmer this year. There are several reasons, including minimal negotiations taking place so far, parties being extremely polarized, and Democrats’ overall reluctance to support government funding under Trump’s purview.
The last time a government shutdown occurred was also under Trump’s watch.
But is a second Trump term destined to be a repeat of what happened six years ago? Not quite. And what separates this looming shutdown threat from the discourse that took place in 2023 under former President Joe Biden? We break it all down.
Why is Congress at an impasse right now?
A seemingly deeper than usual divide between Republicans and Democrats has Congress at a standstill as members attempt to reach an agreement and avoid a potential government shutdown.
Some of the key issues in dispute include spending levels and overreach by Trump and his administration. Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, has also sparked concerns and complicated negotiation attempts.
Regarding spending levels, Democrats are advocating for increased funding for domestic programs while Republicans want to see increases to defense spending. As noted by Intelligencer, there’s currently no “top-line” spending deal highlighting key budget themes, much less deals over individual line items. In turn, there aren’t enough details to actively and effectively negotiate a deal over.
Democrats are also demanding Republicans promise that a spending bill would be implemented as written in an attempt to defend Congress’s power at a time where Musk and his department have slashed the funding of federal programs previously funded by Congress.
What would a government shutdown mean?
Traditionally, a government shutdown occurs if Congress cannot reach some sort of agreement on 12 individual appropriation measures that represent all federal operations.
The existing spending plans expire on March 14, marking the end of the existing continuing resolution passed in December 2024 to avoid a shutdown. If the appropriations bill or an extension isn’t passed and signed by then, it means funding for the new fiscal year isn’t in effect and the government could either completely or partially shut down.
When a shutdown happens, the government isn’t able to spend money — with some exceptions — meaning that federal employees across the country are expected to work without pay until after the shutdown ends. In turn, essential services will continue to operate, but resources will be significantly strained.
Who is affected by a government shutdown?
Hundreds of thousands of federal employees are impacted by government shutdowns since they are expected to work, but will not receive pay until after the shutdown is lifted. Employees are typically guaranteed back pay, but it’s unclear if Musk’s new role and interference could impact past precedent.
Many employees are also at risk of being furloughed and would not be allowed to work (but would also receive back pay thanks to legislation passed in 2019).
Some of the main groups of employees that a shutdown could impact include (but are not limited to) members of active military, federal law enforcement, federal transportation workers (like air traffic controllers and TSA agents, but not SEPTA), national park employees, scientific researchers, and some health-care providers.
What’s different between today’s looming shutdown vs. 2023?
Back in 2023, disputes between the Biden administration and Congress boiled down to domestic policy issues and partisan disagreements. Today, a potential shutdown is largely influenced by how Trump’s administration and the new Department of Government Efficiency program under Musk are vying for control, at times bypassing congressional jurisdiction and stoking new fears, making the lead up feel more intense.
The 2023 congressional discussions about budgets and avoiding a shutdown also highlighted internal divides between establishment Republicans and the far-right House Freedom Caucus. Those conflicts led to removal of Speaker Kevin McCarthy after he worked with Democrats to avoid a shutdown. But in 2025, hardline Republicans and Democrats are both drawing lines in the sand, making a continuing resolution like last time less promising with no clear agreement in sight.
When was the longest government shutdown?
The 2018-19 shutdown — which lasted 35 days making it the longest shutdown in history — was also the second government shutdown to occur during Trump’s presidency. That shutdown ended after East Coast airports faced major delays when unpaid air traffic controllers stopped coming to work.
What’s different between today’s looming shutdown vs. the shutdown in 2018-19?
Both the 2018-19 shutdown and the current potential shutdown feature a political impasse, but today’s situation features a much more divided Republican Party, financial disagreement, and a key theme of concerns about presidential power and oversight. In contrast, the 2018-19 shutdown was largely centered around Trump’s demands for a border wall.
Funding for the border wall caused many disagreements with Trump calling for funding for the budget and Democrats opposing it, leading to the government shutdown. Today, the potential shutdown hinges on internal disagreements between partisan members of Congress over spending priorities.
Unlike during the last shutdown, today’s Congress features an extremely divided Republican majority making a consensus even harder to reach.
What have Pennsylvania and area elected officials said?
Several elected officials have already spoken out about a potential shutdown.
Pennsylvania Senate Democrats have voiced their concerns with GOP-led initiatives to cut from Medicaid. U.S. Sen. Andy Kim (D., N.J.) said he’d be open to joining Democrats in shutting down the government in protest before supporting the Trump administration’s disruptions to federal agencies and funding.
In stark contrast, U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.) said he’d “never” vote for a government shutdown, calling it “chaos.”
When is the government shutdown deadline?
Congress and the Trump administration need to reach an agreement by the end of the continuing resolution’s deadline, which is March 14 at midnight. If they don’t, the shutdown would go into place on March 15 at 12:01 a.m.