Keep Factually independent
Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way.
Which federal agencies were closed during the 2025 partial government shutdown?
Executive summary
The shutdown that began Oct. 1, 2025, and ran roughly 43 days forced many federal agencies to scale back, furlough staff or limit services — with core public‑health and defense functions largely maintained while programs funded through certain appropriations (notably SNAP, some Agriculture/FDA activities, and parts of HHS) were disrupted [1] [2]. Reporting and agency contingency plans show furloughs and reduced operations at agencies including CDC, NIH, FDA inspections, CMS, SAMHSA, EPA and dozens of individual field offices — but the exact list of “closed” agencies varies by what counts as closed, partially suspended, or operating with excepted staff [3] [2] [4].
1. Shutdown mechanics: “closed” is a policy choice, not one binary list
A government shutdown does not flip a single switch that closes every agency; OMB guidance and each agency’s contingency plan determine which activities continue as “excepted” (essential) and which are furloughed, so whether an agency appears “closed” depends on which functions are counted — for example, agencies such as Defense and TSA continued core operations while many discretionary programs were paused [3] [4].
2. Which agencies saw major operational suspensions or furloughs — the reporting consensus
Multiple sources document that public‑health agencies and programs experienced notable disruptions: the CDC, parts of HHS, NIH‑funded programs and related services saw staffing gaps and suspended work; CMS and SAMHSA were also affected though core public‑health missions continued in many cases [3] [2]. The Agriculture‑funded programs including SNAP and some WIC operations faced funding shortfalls that led to partial or delayed benefits [5] [2].
3. FDA, inspections and food‑safety activities: partial pauses, not a blanket shutdown
Reporting shows the FDA paused some food and drug inspections and that some FDA functions were considered exempt while inspection cadence slowed; statements from agency leaders indicated a mix of exempt work and curtailed activities rather than a universal shutdown of FDA operations [3] [2].
4. Transportation and aviation impact: operations maintained but constrained
Transport agencies like TSA and the Federal Aviation Administration kept core security and air‑traffic functions running as excepted work, but staffing shortages and absences led to reduced airport capacity, flight cancellations and temporary operational limits — outcomes of workers being required to work without pay or being absent [3] [6] [7].
5. Social‑services and benefits: SNAP, food aid and field office closures
USDA told states contingency funds would run out for SNAP after October and instructed states to pause issuing full November benefits unless funding was restored; multiple state and field office reports and memos documented partial payments and halted processes [5]. Social Security field offices and other local offices reported temporary closures or limited hours due to limited staffing [8].
6. Courts, nuclear security and justice functions: reduced but constitutional duties preserved
Some reporting notes that federal courts and agencies with constitutionally required functions continued only essential work, while specialized agencies (e.g., a nuclear agency) sent large shares of their workforce home under contingency plans; these actions reflect legal constraints under the Antideficiency Act that allow only necessary operations to continue [4] [9].
7. The back‑pay, rehiring and policy aftermath that matters for what “closure” meant
When Congress passed the stopgap measures in November, the deal required rehiring, backpay and reversals of some layoffs — underscoring that many agencies had only suspended parts of their operations and that much of the workforce was formally restored rather than permanently eliminated [10] [11].
8. Why simple lists miss the real story — competing frames and hidden agendas
Political framing varied: some officials emphasized avoided disruptions by protecting “essential” missions (White House narratives), while critics highlighted the human and service impacts on food benefits, inspections and local offices [12] [13]. Contingency plans and agency memos show that the Trump administration’s staffing decisions and proposed cuts shaped which programs were left fragile; advocates argued that those choices amplified closures in public‑health and social‑service areas [2] [10].
Limitations and takeaways
Available reporting and contingency summaries make clear which program areas were hit hardest (SNAP/USDA, certain FDA inspection activities, parts of HHS including CDC/NIH programs, field offices across agencies), but there is no single authoritative public roster of every “closed” agency — instead, closure occurred function by function and office by office per agency contingency plans [2] [4]. For a definitive account of any individual agency’s status during the lapse, consult that agency’s publicly posted contingency plan or OMB directives cited above [4].