Which federal agencies are affected by the current shutdown

1. Who’s on the chopping block — A sweeping furlough picture that reads like a cross‑government layoff

Federal agencies reported large-scale furloughs and reductions in force as the shutdown took hold, with headline figures showing roughly 900,000 federal employees furloughed and about 2 million continuing to work without pay in October and early November 2025 ^[1]. Departments explicitly named in contemporaneous reporting and agency notices include the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Education, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Treasury Department, among others; some agencies are restructuring roles while citing budget interruptions ^{[3] [2]}. Agencies that perform nonessential administrative, research, regulatory, and grant-making functions have been the most affected, creating immediate stoppages in services and long-term uncertainty for programs reliant on continuous funding ^{[4] [5]}.

2. What keeps running — Essential benefits, military and mail sustain continuity amid strain

Key benefit streams and mission‑critical operations continue despite the shutdown: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, military pay (eventually retroactive), and the U.S. Postal Service have carried on, either because they are financed outside annual appropriations or deemed essential to national welfare ^{[6] [4]}. Law enforcement, air traffic control, and other national security functions remain staffed, often with employees working without immediate pay — a fact that keeps critical systems online while creating morale and financial strain ^{[7] [1]}. Agencies with fee‑funded or multi‑year appropriated programs have shown varied resilience; some science agencies and grant programs curtailed activity because their operations rely on annual appropriations that lapsed ^{[4] [2]}.

3. Who’s getting hit hardest — Science, public health and discretionary programs stall

Research agencies and public health programs faced substantial slowdowns: the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Science Foundation, and NOAA saw much of their workforce furloughed, halting many research projects and delaying grants ^{[4] [2]}. Nutrition and social assistance programs such as WIC and parts of SNAP, along with housing assistance and federal student aid operations, reported administrative disruptions and delays in services crucial to low‑income families ^{[1] [2]}. These interruptions have both immediate human impacts and potential long‑term consequences for research timelines, public‑health surveillance and vulnerable populations dependent on consistent federal administration ^{[4] [1]}.

4. Variations by agency funding and prior laws — Not all shutdowns are equal

The shutdown’s impact diverges significantly by legal funding mechanisms and prior legislation: some parts of the Treasury and agencies with dedicated funding streams experienced far smaller furlough rates due to alternate funding or fees, while other offices that rely entirely on annual appropriations shut down or reduced staff dramatically ^{[2] [4]}. Past law and emergency appropriations also determine whether employees are furloughed or required to work without pay; this patchwork produces uneven service continuity across federal programs and explains why postal operations, courts in some cases, and veteran benefits show different outcomes from research labs and regulatory enforcement functions ^{[5] [6]}.

5. Political responses and blame lines — Messaging from both parties shapes perceptions

Political actors frame the shutdown differently: Democratic leaders emphasize harm to federal workers and essential services, framing furloughs as political leverage that risks public safety and benefits continuity, while some Republican officials cite the shutdown as an impetus for restructuring and eliminating “wasteful” programs, arguing pauses expose inefficiency ^{[3] [5]}. Coverage shows bipartisan criticism of using federal employees as leverage, even as legislative tactics and public messaging differ; these competing narratives affect both negotiations and public perception of which agencies are “essential” versus “nonessential” ^{[3] [4]}.

6. Broader ripple effects — Contractors, states and the long tail of service interruptions

Beyond federal payrolls, the shutdown reverberates through contractor networks, state governments, and beneficiaries, with private contractors facing halted work and payments, states stepping in to keep parks or services open temporarily, and recipients encountering delayed loans, inspections, and application processing ^[5]. Economic estimates and anecdotal reporting indicate business and community impacts from delayed permits, paused regulatory actions, and gaps in public‑health monitoring; the cumulative effect risks slowing economic activity and undermining public trust in government responsiveness until appropriations resume ^{[8] [1]}.