PIVOT Statement: Who Is Responsible For The Federal Government Shutdown?

October 13, 2025

Since October 1, 2025, the U.S. federal government has been shut down for the fourth time in the 21st century. What is affected during the shutdown and who is responsible for it?

Some essential services including active military, Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Medicare, and Medicaid are not supposed to be affected because they remain open and employees still work. However, employees will not be paid until after the shutdown, leading to hardships for many, including members of our armed forces. TSA employees have called in sick to protest the lack of pay, and FAA labor issues with air traffic controllers have led to significant flight delays. 

Approximately 900,000 federal employees are being furloughed, reducing services at many crucial agencies, including  the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Small Business Administration, and the Departments of Education, Commerce, Defense, Labor, and State. Poor women and children who rely on the Women Infant and Children (WIC) nutrition program will lose their support. Data on the economy will not be available, which may lead to economic complications.

The Republican and Democratic parties are blaming each other for the shutdown. The Democrats in the Senate are asking for changes that will increase healthcare coverage and health insurance in this country for the working poor and middle class before agreeing to vote for the Republican plan. The Republicans have refused any compromise to keep the government open. They argue incorrectly that the Democratic plan would benefit undocumented immigrants. 

The root of this argument came when the Republicans passed the Big Beautiful Bill into law in July 2025, which will take away healthcare and health insurance for approximately 17 million Americans in order to keep a tax cut that benefits the 1% wealthiest Americans. The Republican Party was able to do this because they control the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the White House. They took credit for this law that worsen income inequality and increases the suffering of the poor and the middle-class to benefit the very wealthy. The Democrats are trying to help the poor and the middle-class using the only tool at their disposal, which is refusing to agree. 

Who is to blame for the government shutdown? One could argue that the party in power is responsible for running the country. Since the Republican Party controls Congress, the Supreme Court, and the Presidency, it is their responsibility to keep the government running. In a democracy, compromises are always necessary, and the Republicans’ refusal to compromise has put us in this terrible situation. Another point of view is that the government’s responsibility is to serve the most people, not the richest people. Here, the Republicans are also responsible because they would rather have the government not work at all than to provide healthcare to millions of Americans. Finally, Donald Trump has said that he would use the shutdown as a strategy to cut back on government services and fire more federal employees. It is clear that the responsibility for the shutdown falls on the Republican Party. We should hold them accountable now and in future elections.