How long has the government been shut down? Day 22 as of October 22, 2025
The current U.S. federal government shutdown began at 12:01 a.m. on October 1, 2025. As of today—Wednesday, October 22, 2025—it has lasted 22 days, making it one of the longest funding lapses on record. Negotiations remain fluid and day counts will continue to climb until a funding measure is enacted.
Timeline of the 2025 government shutdown
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October 1, 2025: Funding expired at midnight after competing stopgap bills failed. Federal agencies initiated contingency plans; “excepted” operations (public safety, certain military and air traffic functions) continued.
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October 1–7: Agencies executed phased furloughs and suspended a wide range of non-essential services. Visitor-facing sites such as museums and some federal facilities closed or reduced operations.
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October 8–15: The shutdown crossed the two-week mark. Repeated procedural votes to advance a short-term funding bill stalled amid disputes over policy riders.
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October 16–21: The lapse entered its third week. A series of failed Senate votes underscored the stalemate. The shutdown approached historic duration milestones from past decades.
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October 22: Day 22. Discussions continue around a temporary measure with an eye toward reopening while broader disagreements are negotiated.
If a funding bill is signed at any point, the “day count” stops that calendar day.
What a Day 22 shutdown means right now
Even at three weeks, the effects remain uneven across the country. Some services are insulated; others are increasingly constrained:
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Federal workers and contractors: Hundreds of thousands of employees are furloughed while many “excepted” staff work without pay. Back pay is expected after reopening, but contractors’ pay depends on contract terms and may not be fully recoverable.
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Public services: Casework, permits, grants processing, and routine regulatory activity slow substantially. Timelines for reviews and public comments slip, creating knock-on delays for businesses and local governments.
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Data and reports: Regular economic and scientific publications are delayed, complicating decisions for markets, researchers, and policymakers.
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Safety-critical functions: Core operations—national security, law enforcement, air traffic control—continue, but prolonged lapses strain overtime and staffing.
SNAP benefits and other safety-net programs
Many households are watching SNAP benefits closely. States follow staggered issuance calendars that begin in late October for the November benefit month. While eligibility rules and benefit formulas haven’t changed, prolonged funding lapses can disrupt the timing of new monthly deposits and administrative processing. Households should monitor state notices, check EBT balances, and prepare for potential delays if the shutdown extends further into late October and early November. Program operations can resume quickly once funding is restored, but backlogs may take days to unwind.
How the shutdown could end—and what to watch
Three outcomes are most plausible:
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Short-term funding (“CR”) breakthrough: A narrowly tailored continuing resolution reopens the government for weeks while broader disagreements are negotiated.
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Mini-deals by agency or function: Lawmakers could pass targeted funding to reopen specific parts of government, though this approach can be slower and politically complex.
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Comprehensive deal: A fuller agreement sets spending levels and resolves the sticking points, ending the shutdown and reducing near-term risk of another lapse.
Key indicators to watch include scheduled votes on stopgap measures, signals of compromise on the major policy riders at issue, and agency guidance on how quickly they can restart operations once a bill is signed.
The answer to “how long has the government been shut down?” is 22 days as of October 22, 2025. Until a funding measure clears both chambers and is signed, each passing day adds to the tally—and to the operational and household strain that accompanies a prolonged lapse.
