Government Shutdown Begins: 4 Takeaways

Party leaders showed little inclination to compromise, while some rank-and-file senators discussed a possible solution.

Vice President JD Vance and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt during a news briefing at the White House on Oct. 1, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

The federal government remains shut down after the Senate on Oct. 1 again rejected a pair of competing plans that would temporarily extend funding.

The shutdown began on Oct. 1 at 12:01 a.m. as Republicans and Democrats deadlocked over the terms of a stopgap spending agreement.