Overview

• The federal government entered a shutdown on October 1 after Congress failed to approve funding, triggering a freeze on nonessential spending.
• Trump said he will meet with OMB Director Russell Vought to decide which agencies to reduce and whether reductions will be temporary or permanent.
• A White House spokesperson told reporters the plan could mean thousands of additional federal layoffs.
• NASA implemented its shutdown plan, furloughing more than 15,000 employees while about 3,000 remain to sustain critical missions such as the International Space Station and key weather and Earth-observation satellites.
• The administration publicly blames Democrats for the funding lapse, while a Washington Post poll reports 47% of respondents fault Trump and Republicans and 30% fault Democrats.