Government shutdown Q&A: When will it end? What’s staying open? Who is affected?

The federal government shutdown has begun, with no obvious end in sight.

Republicans, who control Congress and the White House, and Democrats remained stuck and spent Wednesday accusing each other of sabotaging any meaningful compromise.

The National Republican Congressional Committee launched a new ad saying Rep. Adam Gray, D-Merced, is “grinding America to a halt.” Democrats countered by charging, “Make no mistake, Republicans own this government shutdown,” said Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Washington, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Here are some of the most common questions being asked and discussed around Washington and northern California:

Q. When and how will this end?

A. No one knows. The longest such shutdown lasted 35 days in the winter of 2018-19. It ended largely because several air traffic controllers, who were working but not being paid, walked off the job.

That stopped traffic at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, CNN reported at the time, and that had a ripple effect on air traffic in the Northeast. The shutdown ended quickly after that.

Q. Is Congress or the White House taking any steps to reach a compromise?

A. Not really. The House is gone until Tuesday. The Senate won’t meet Thursday because of the Jewish holiday. Wednesday, it revoted on Republican and Democratic plans to fund the government, and neither got the 60 votes needed.

Q. What is the biggest obstacle to ending the shutdown?

A. Healthcare premium subsidies. In 2021, the Democratic-run Congress increased the subsidies for middle- and lower-income people buying policies through Obamacare.

Those credits expire at the end of the year. KFF, the nonpartisan healthcare research firm, estimated consumers would pay an average of 114% more for their annual policies, as prices jump from $888 this year to $1,904 next year.

Q. Who will stay on the job and who will get paid right away?

A. The White House has said it will lay off federal workers, though it has not released a precise plan. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday “we believe that layoffs are imminent.” Pressed for a timetable, she said, “two days, imminent, very soon.”

Each agency has issued contingency plans that detail their activity. It varies widely, depending on each department’s budget status and other factors.

Veterans benefits will continue to be paid, and medical facilities will operate. Air traffic controllers and security agents at airports will work without pay. Internal Revenue Service employees will stay on the job for at least a few days.

Food safety inspections will continue, though workers won’t be paid. Congress will continue to function, as members will be paid while staff will not. Unless someone is laid off, those not getting paid during the shutdown will get back pay.

Q. If help is needed with Social Security applications, taxes or other questions for a government agency, and that agency is not staffed, what can I do?

A. Call or email your local member of Congress. Their offices both locally and in Washington will stay open. Here’s how to find your member: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member

Q. How many federal employees could be affected locally?

A. “It’s difficult to fully quantify the immediate effects of a government shutdown on Sacramento County,” said Rep. Ami Bera, D-Sacramento.

“It remains unclear how many of these employees would be temporarily furloughed, required to work without pay or subject to layoffs as part of reduction in force initiatives by the Trump administration.” The administration has threatened mass layoffs during the shutdown.

Q. Are any of the Northern California members of Congress pivotal players in resolving this crisis?

A. Not so far. The key players are President Donald Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana., Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, House Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York.

Q. But the area has some members whose elections could be iffy next year. What are they saying?

A. Gray, who narrowly defeated a Republican incumbent last year, was one of two Democrats who did not vote when the House considered the Republican budget plan last month. All but one Democrat voted against it.

Another vulnerable incumbent, Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, voted for the GOP plan but has joined Democrats in pushing legislation to continue the healthcare premium credits for a year.

Q. Why is all this happening?

A. Any “discretionary spending” is subject to approval by Congress and the president. About one-third of the federal budget falls into that category. It includes a wide variety of programs, including transportation, education, environmental protection and others. The money is supposed to be contained in 12 bills, each covering a different subject area.

The bills are supposed to become law by October 1, the start of the fiscal year.

But that almost never happens. The last time all 12 bills were signed on time was 1997. Since then, lawmakers have had to adopt a “continuing resolution,” which simply keeps the discretionary budget going at the previous year’s levels. Such bills usually only cover short periods of time, enough to give budget-writers time to craft more thorough legislation.

Q. So why not just do a continuing resolution now?

A. Because Republicans and Democrats can’t agree on what should be in it. Republicans are pushing an extension of current spending through November 21. Democrats want to restore Trump-promoted cuts to Medicaid, called Medi-Cal in California, as well as the healthcare credits and keep the government running through October 31.

Trump and Republicans are balking, saying there’s plenty of time to negotiate healthcare matters.

This story was originally published October 1, 2025 at 10:09 AM with the headline "Government shutdown Q&A: When will it end? What’s staying open? Who is affected?."

David Lightman

McClatchy DC

David Lightman is a former journalist for the DCBureau