What is a US government shutdown?

The US is headed for another government shutdown after the lower house of Congress failed to pass a spending bill to keep federal agencies open.

The funding is set to expire at midnight on Friday unless Republicans and Democrats agree on a way forward.

Here’s a breakdown of how we got here and what it means for Americans — and for Donald Trump.

Many federal government agencies rely on annual funding approved by Congress.

Each year, these agencies submit their requests, which Congress must pass and the president must sign into budget legislation for the next fiscal year.

If no agreement is reached, all non-essential, discretionary functions of the US government will cease.

In September, both sides agreed on a bill to preserve state funding until December 20.

This week, three days before lawmakers were set to go on holiday recess, House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, released a bill to extend the funding through March.

It was agreed with Democratic leadership but included some measures, such as a pay raise for lawmakers, that upset some Republicans.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk, a Trump ally, spoke out against it, and then the president-elect made it clear he wanted his party to kill him, which he did.

A second scaled-down bill did make it to the floor Thursday night, but didn’t get enough votes to pass.

If a deal isn’t reached by midnight, the U.S. will face its first shutdown since early 2019.

Essential workers continue to work as usual, some without pay, while civil servants deemed non-essential are temporarily placed on unpaid leave.

Border security, inpatient medical care, law enforcement and air traffic control will continue.

But services such as the food assistance program, federally funded preschool, student loan and food service, and national parks will be curtailed or closed.

While Social Security and Medicare checks are being mailed, benefit checks and card issuance are suspended.

There may also be delays on the road if the standoff drags on.

“Prolonged shutdowns could mean longer wait times at airports,” Transportation Security Administration spokesman Carter Langston said.

The Tesla boss has been tasked with identifying cost-cutting by spearheading the proposed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

It’s not an official government department, but it has promised to save $2 trillion.

On Wednesday, he made dozens of posts on the X platform he owns to express his distaste for Mike Johnson’s bill.

Reinforcing some of the false claims about what is in the bill, he called it criminal and outrageous.

After Musk sparked opposition, Trump and J. D. Vance, the future vice president, dealt the final blow to Johnson’s deal that evening.

In a joint statement, they said they wanted to streamline the legislation without the Democratic-backed provisions that Johnson included.

They also called on Congress to raise or repeal the debt ceiling, which determines how much the government can borrow to pay its bills.

Johnson promised to find a solution Friday, so there will be plenty of contention on Capitol Hill as the clock ticks down.

But to get the necessary support in the House of Representatives, he will need the votes of Democrats.

Democrats say they will support only the original bill, which Trump and Musk opposed.

If no deal is reached, US federal agencies will shut down at midnight.

Quite often. President Ronald Reagan presided over eight shutdowns during his time in office — though they were all relatively short.

And there were three when Donald Trump was president, including the longest in history at 36 days, which ended in January 2019.

This was due to disagreements over funding for a wall on the border with Mexico.

Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that this reduced economic output by about $11 billion, including $3 billion that he never paid back.

Shutdowns over budgets are almost unique to US politics.

Under the US system, the various branches of government must reach agreement on spending plans before they become law.

In most countries, voting on the budget becomes a vote of confidence in the government itself. But since the US has equal and often separate branches of government, this is not the case.

Also known as the debt limit, this is a law that limits the total amount of money the government can borrow to pay its bills.

This includes paying federal employees, the military, Social Security and Medicare, as well as interest on the national debt and tax refunds.

From time to time, the US Congress votes to raise or suspend the ceiling so that more borrowing can be done.

Trump’s addition of the condition to the deal was an unexpected requirement that made it more difficult for right-wing Republicans, who often oppose increased government spending, to support the bill.

The debt ceiling was set to be raised in the coming months, regardless of the promised efficiency gains.

But by calling for it to happen now, some analysts say Trump is signaling the cost of his proposed tax cuts, while tightening border restrictions will test the limits. And he prefers the fight for promotion to take place before he takes office.

Democrats usually favor raising the debt ceiling without limits, but they are in no mood to help Republicans right now.

The risk for Trump is that the mini-rebellion sheds the cloak of invincibility he has worn since the election.

And that raises questions about how smoothly his party will be able to deliver on its campaign promises, which require legislation.