US Government Shuts Down

The US government has come to a standstill after Republicans and Democrats failed to agree on a spending plan. President Donald Trump’s administration has cut government funding after months of pushing for reductions in federal spending.

Non-essential federal workers were forced to stop work. Essential workers, such as border protection agents, law enforcement officers, air-traffic controllers, and in-hospital medical staff, will continue working without pay.

Trump said the shutdown could help identify non-essential workers who could then be permanently let go. “We’ll be laying off a lot of people,” he said.

Congressional negotiations have stalled over healthcare subsidies, Medicaid cuts, and funding for government health agencies. Democrats have demanded extensions of tax credits to make health insurance more affordable.

This is not the first US government shutdown. The longest recent shutdown lasted 35 days in 2018 under Trump’s first term.

US embassies worldwide, including in Belize, have announced that routine updates on their Facebook accounts will pause due to the government shutdown. They stated, “Due to the lapse in appropriations, this Facebook account will not be updated regularly until full operations resume, with the exception of urgent safety and security information.”