Donald Trump and the U.S. House of Representatives await a vote by the U.S. Senate that will decide if a government shutdown will go into effect.
Here’s what we know about the U.S. Senate vote and a potential government shutdown:
The 2025 government shutdown deadline is 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, March 14, 2025. A shutdown would go into effect at 12:01 a.m. Saturday if a funding bill is not passed and signed by Trump by the end of the day.
The U.S. Senate stand adjourned until 10 a.m. ET Friday, March 14, 2025. Discussions around a vote will resume when the Senate reconvenes.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) confirmed Thursday he would vote for the Republican government funding by the end of today.
“While the CR bill is very bad, the potential for a shutdown has consequences for America that are much, much worse. I believe it is my job to make the best choice for the country to minimize the harms to the American people. Therefore, I will vote to keep the government open and not shut it down,” Schumer said during a speech on the Senate floor.
Here’s what would happen if a 2025 government shutdown were to occur:
The last government shutdown began Dec. 22, 2018, and ended on Jan. 25, 2019. This shutdown marked the third government shutdown during Trump’s first term as president, according to USA Today.
The longest government shutdown was also the most recent shutdown lasting 35 days in 2018-19 for the third time during Trump’s first term as president, according to USA Today. Nearly 800,000 government employees were left without pay for more than a month.
Yes, disability and retirement benefits proceed without interruptions.
Employees deemed “non-essential” do not get paid during a government shutdown and “essential” employees who may be called upon to continue to work may not get paid until the shutdown is resolved.
Kentucky has 22,079 federal civilian employees with an average salary of $82,140, according U.S. Census and U.S. Office of Personnel Management data. These workers would be subjected to furloughs.
USA Today reporters Riley Beggin and Fernando Cervantes Jr. contributed to this story. Chris Sims is a digital content producer for Midwest Connect Gannett. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisFSims.
