The clock strikes midnight on September 30th, 2025. All of a sudden, the government goes unfunded. Nonessential government workers find out they are put on leave as they wake up, and essential workers are forced to work without pay. What should’ve been resolved in a day threatens to stretch into weeks as the game of chicken drags on longer and longer in Congress, with both sides waiting for one another to crack. What’s causing this issue? The heated debate over federal budgeting has caused a gridlock in Congress, and both sides are to blame.
Both Republicans and Democrats point their fingers at each other. A poll run by Reuters, a political forum, reveals that 67% of people think Republicans are to blame, while 63% believe democrats are to blame. The central argument is about the scope of federal support for healthcare. Republicans, who are known for their desire for less governmental control, want to cut federal funding for health care policies in favor of tax breaks for the wealthy, according to the California Budget & Policy Center. Kevin Mullin, California congressman, states that “Democratic leadership has argued that it’s Republicans who have been unwilling to come to the table on negotiations around health care policy, a fight they’re continuing since the July passage of Trump’s sweeping policy agenda.” The Republican angst towards negotiating a proper health care policy for the people shows their stubbornness in this game of chicken, regardless of the already passed funding deal that the House is unwilling to accept. Thus, this contributed to the inevitable government shutdown.
However, Republican beliefs aren’t the only contributing factor to the government shutdown. Democrats are pulling their own weight in causing the government shutdown. Dace Potas, writer for USA Today, claims the Democrats forced the government shutdown on purpose, stating, “it is the only way for them to bring about negotiations with the little power that they hold. I understand why they did it, but that doesn’t make it right.” Since the majority of both the House and Senate, as well as the President, are all Republican, it makes sense for Democrats to try to gain control in politics by forcing a shutdown. Thus, Democrats also pull a significant weight towards the government shutdown we are now facing.
In the end, both parties are at fault for the government shutdown. Democrats attempt to assert control, while the Republicans patiently wait for chicken, both tugging at the rope called Congress from both ends. There is not much we can do but wait for the politicians to resolve their debate. As we approach the second week of the government shutdown, and unpaid government workers start worrying about their missing paycheck, every government shutdown has been resolved in the past before, and the current one should be no different, right?
