The US government ceased operations on October 1 due to deep political divides preventing Congress and the White House from reaching a funding agreement. This marks the 15th government shutdown since 1981.
The shutdown halts the release of the anticipated employment report for September, disrupts air travel, suspends scientific research, and forces 750,000 federal employees into unpaid leave, costing the nation $400 million daily.
President Donald Trump warned Democratic lawmakers that the shutdown could lead to further job cuts and reductions in programs.
The shutdown began just hours after the Senate rejected a short-term funding bill that would have kept the government running until November 21.
Democrats opposed the bill because Republicans refused to include an extension of medical benefits for millions of Americans, which expire at the end of the year. Republicans argued that this issue should be tackled separately.
The funding dispute involves $1.7 trillion for agency operations, which accounts for about a quarter of the total government budget of $7 trillion.
Analysts suggest this shutdown may last longer than previous ones, as Trump and White House officials threaten to penalize Democrats with cuts to government programs and federal payroll funding.

It is worth noting that the longest government shutdown in US history lasted over 35 days in December 2018 and January 2019 during Trump's first term, resulting from a border security dispute. In recent years, the US has frequently faced last-minute decisions regarding additional funding to avert a government shutdown.