Efforts to swiftly end the U.S. government shutdown collapsed on Wednesday (October 1, 2025) as Democrats in Congress rejected proposals to resolve an acrimonious funding stand-off with President Donald Trump and the White House threatened public sector jobs.
With the government out of money after Mr. Trump and lawmakers failed to agree on a deal to keep the lights on, federal departments have been closing since midnight, with the White House warning of “imminent” firings of public sector workers.
