Yawn. The .Gov Shutdown is Looming

 I went to search.brave.com and did a search for "looming gov shutdown." This is what came up.

Fuck the .gov.

The U.S. federal government is on the brink of a shutdown as the deadline of October 1, 2025, approaches without a funding agreement in place. With Congress unable to pass any of the 12 required appropriations bills or a short-term continuing resolution, a full government shutdown is increasingly likely. Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress, are pushing for a "clean" stopgap measure to extend funding for seven weeks, while Democrats are demanding the inclusion of key provisions such as an extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits and a rollback of Medicaid cuts from ’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

President Donald Trump has escalated the standoff, canceling a meeting with top Democratic leaders and stating that a shutdown "will have to shut down" if Democrats do not cooperate. Vice President JD Vance echoed this sentiment, saying, “I think we’re headed to a shutdown,” after a fruitless meeting between congressional leaders and the President. The Senate requires 60 votes to pass a funding bill, meaning Republicans need at least seven Democratic senators to support their measure—a threshold that currently appears unmet.

In a significant departure from past shutdowns, the Trump administration’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has directed federal agencies to prepare not only for furloughs but also for permanent mass layoffs of workers in programs deemed inconsistent with the administration’s priorities. This marks a sharp escalation, as previous shutdowns typically resulted in temporary furloughs with retroactive pay once operations resumed. The OMB has not posted updated agency contingency plans on its website, instead requiring agencies to host them independently, which complicates public assessment of essential functions.

Essential services such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, military operations, air traffic control, and border security are expected to continue, though with potential strain. Social Security payments will not be interrupted, and veterans’ medical care and benefits processing will remain operational, although some support services like the GI Bill Hotline would be suspended. The IRS may continue operations using funds from the Inflation Reduction Act, potentially avoiding disruptions to tax processing.

However, non-essential services would face significant disruptions. National parks may close or operate without services, as seen in past shutdowns, though some states like Utah, Arizona, and Colorado have previously used state funds to keep parks open. Economic impacts could be substantial: the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ September jobs report, scheduled for October 3, would be delayed, as would the Consumer Price Index and other key data. Financial markets rely on these reports, and delays could create uncertainty.

Economists warn that even a short shutdown could slow economic growth, and a prolonged one could cause lasting damage. The 2018–2019 shutdown cost the economy an estimated $3 billion and reduced tax revenues by $2 billion due to reduced IRS enforcement. The US Travel Association estimates a shutdown could cost $1 billion per week in lost travel activity.

Federal workers would bear the brunt of the shutdown. Hundreds of thousands could be furloughed without immediate pay, while "excepted" employees would be required to work without guaranteed timely compensation. Although federal workers typically receive back pay after a shutdown ends, federal contractors do not. The Defense Department has warned active-duty military personnel they will not be paid after September 30 until funding is restored, though they must continue reporting for duty.

Given the current impasse and the administration’s willingness to accept a shutdown as a tool for reducing the federal workforce, the situation represents a more serious and potentially longer-lasting crisis than previous budget standoffs.