The White House has warned that a government shutdown is now imminent after the Senate failed to pass a GOP-backed short-term funding bill. A memo from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) says current federal funding “expires at 11:59 pm. tonight.” The update tells agencies to begin orderly shutdown procedures, according to Fox News.
The memo blasts Democratic senators, calling their demands “insane” and accusing them of seeking d” It further states that President Trump supports the GOP continuing resolution (H.R. 5371), which would have extended funding through Nov. 21 while lawmakers work out FY2026 priorities.
Who could be furloughed: Full list here
Hundreds of thousands of federal employees could be sent home without pay, the New York Times reported.
A furlough basically means employees are asked to stay away from work for a certain period, often without pay, because of budget issues, seasonal factors, or reduced workload. It doesn’t usually mean job loss, rather, it’s a temporary pause. Once conditions improve, most workers are called back. It’s a way for organisations to manage expenses while keeping the option open to bring their staff back when things stabilise. Agencies that expect big shares of furloughs include:
Environmental Protection Agency — Total staff ~15,166; planned furloughs ~13,432 (≈89%)
Education — Total ~2,447; planned furloughs ~2,117 (≈87%)
Commerce — Total ~42,984; planned furloughs ~34,711 (≈81%)
Labor — Total ~12,916; planned furloughs ~9,775 (≈76%)
State — Total ~26,995; planned furloughs ~16,651 (≈62%)
Defense (civilian workforce) — Total ~741,477; planned furloughs ~334,904 (≈45%)
Health and Human Services — Total ~79,717; planned furloughs ~32,460 (≈41%)
Small Business Administration — Total ~6,201; planned furloughs ~1,456 (≈23%)
Transportation — Total ~53,717; planned furloughs ~12,213 (≈23%)
Social Security Administration — Total ~51,825; planned furloughs ~6,197 (≈12%)
Justice — Total ~115,131; planned furloughs ~12,840 (≈11%)
OPM — Total ~2,007; planned furloughs ~210 (≈10%)
Homeland Security — Total ~271,927; planned furloughs ~14,184 (≈5%)
Veterans Affairs — Total ~461,499; planned furloughs ~14,874 (≈3%)
(Agency totals come from public postings; some figures date back to March 2025, according to NYT)
What remains open and what closes during US gov shutdown
Programs funded by mandatory or dedicated revenues will mostly continue. Examples that should keep running:
- Weather forecasts and severe-weather warnings
- Maritime operations like ship water-level monitoring and fishery work
- Patent processing (while reserves last)
- Military operations (troops will work but may be unpaid)
- Student aid disbursements (Pell Grants, Direct Loans)
- Medicare benefits and some CDC outbreak response activities
- Veterans’ medical care, pensions and crisis lines
- Air traffic control and customs enforcement (staff work but may not be paid during the shutdown)
But many activities will pause or slow down, including
- New grant-making and research at Education and NIH
- Most Census Bureau surveys and reports
- New EPA permits, guidance or non-urgent Superfund cleanups
- New defense contracts
- Some FDA approvals and NIH grant awards
- Most civil litigation at Justice and many training programs
- Routine inspections that aren’t tied to immediate danger (Labor/BLS data releases likely delayed)
- Processing of certain SBA loan applications
On-the-ground effects for the public
For ordinary people, this can mean delayed government services, longer waits for phone or email responses, and a delayed application process. Agencies say essential operations protecting life and property continue, but many employees will work without pay until Congress restores funding.
Agencies told to execute shutdown plans
The OMB memo says it’s now clear Democrats will block passage of the “clean CR” before the deadline and that agencies should move forward with shutdown plans. It instructs employees to report for their next scheduled shift to carry out orderly shutdown activities and warns that the length of the shutdown is hard to predict. A follow-up memo, OMB says, will come once Congress passes a bill and the president signs it.