Trump and Congressional Republicans have driven us headfirst into a government shutdown. This shutdown has paused essential safe food and clean water programs, and stopped work and paychecks for hundreds of thousands of civil servants who keep our country running. 

This is all because Republican Congress members refused to negotiate with Democrats to pass a spending bill that safeguards essential funding for healthcare and clean water. These lawmakers also refused to include “No Kings” provisions to stop Trump from snatching back any funds they pass in the spending bill. 

Congressional Democrats must stand strong to win a negotiated deal that will prevent Trump’s devastating cuts. Congressional Republicans must come to the table to end the shutdown and pass a commonsense, bipartisan bill that preserves essential programs and protects them against future cuts. And they must do it now. 

From damaging local economies that depend on federal workers to pausing essential food assistance for new parents and young children, this government shutdown will touch all corners of this country.

Trump’s Shutdown: How Did We Get Here?

Right now, Congressional Republicans are insisting on passing a spending bill that continues devastating cuts to healthcare and food assistance, while greenlighting Trump’s future cuts to clean water and other critical programs. 

Their bill would also allow for a sneaky backdoor process that fast-tracks rescissions — or claw-backs — of funding. This gives Trump the power to work with Congressional Republicans, without Democratic support, to cut any funding passed by Congress. It essentially allows Trump to act as king, slashing funding however he likes.

The spending bill needs 60 votes in the Senate to pass; at least seven Senate Democrats need to vote in favor. This is a massive point of leverage. It’s the Senate Democrats’ biggest chance to rein in the harm of the Trump administration. They must insist on passing a bill that includes “No Kings” provisions to stop future unilateral Trump cuts.

So far, most have stood strong against the bill. We all know that any spending bill is worthless if Trump can simply hit “undo” on whatever funds he wants after Congress approves them. 

Now, Trump and Congressional Republicans have pushed our country into a federal shutdown by refusing to come to the table. They have refused to negotiate a solution to keep essential programs running. 

Senate Republicans keep voting on this same partisan spending bill over and over again to give the illusion of effort, without doing the real work of negotiating a deal. Meanwhile, House Republicans have refused to even come to work for the last three weeks. 

People are hurting — and House Republicans took an extended vacation. Their inaction and obstinacy are already causing real harm to everyone, including their constituents. 

Trump’s Shutdown Will Hurt Families and Farmers Nationwide

Trump’s shutdown has halted a wide variety of essential programs and services. Here are five key ones that threaten our food, water, and health. 

1. Gutting Food Safety Inspections

Foodborne illnesses like E. coli already cause 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths a year. By gutting food safety inspections, Trump’s shutdown will put us even more in danger of foodborne illnesses. 

The shutdown has paused all food inspections by the Food & Drug Administration, including inspections of shell eggs, seafood, fruits, and vegetables. Moreover, Trump has directed agencies to develop plans for mass firings during the shutdown. This could include support staff at the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, which covers meat, poultry, eggs, and grains.

2. Taking Food Away from New Parents and Young Children

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides food assistance for millions of women, infants, and children across the country. The USDA recently told lawmakers it had enough funds to support WIC through October. However, Congressional Republicans’ continued unwillingness to negotiate places WIC under serious threat of running out of funding. 

Our analysis finds that in Puerto Rico, California, New York, Delaware, and North Carolina, more than a third of children under five years old receive WIC food assistance and could face hunger. 

In North Carolina, where Senator Thom Tillis supported House Republicans’ nonstarter spending bill, over 145,000 children and 57,000 infants depend on WIC for food. Congressional Republicans’ pig-headedness will literally take food out of the mouths of young children.

3. Stopping Inspections for Water Safety 

The shutdown also stops inspections and permitting from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which plays a crucial role in keeping pollution out of our water. This includes inspections for drinking water and wastewater facilities. 

These pauses will also hit North Carolina hard — according to the EPA, 1,405 waste facilities have violated the Clean Water Act in the last year. Stopping inspections puts our water sources at risk, slowing down the identification of problems and solutions for toxic pollution. 

4. Halting Crucial Support for Farmers

Several of the USDA’s programs are stopping financial assistance to farmers, including disaster assistance and loans. Farmers’ access to cash and loans is crucial during the harvest season, which is happening for many crops right now.

The shutdown also halts payments to farmers under the Conservation Reserve Program, which gives farmers much-needed income for conserving some of their land. 

In Iowa, where Republican Senator Joni Ernst supported her party’s spending bill, over one million acres are part of this program. As of May 2025, more than 54,000 Iowa farms received CRP payments — and these payments will stop through the shutdown, taking crucial income away from farmers. Senators like Ernst must come to the negotiating table to end the shutdown and pass a commonsense bill.

5. Endangering Access to Safe Water and Other Utilities for Low-Income Households

During the shutdown, many low-income households can’t enroll in many types of assistance programs, including water affordability programs. These programs typically require income verification from the Social Security Administration, which can’t fulfill requests during the shutdown. 

This threatens access to many programs necessary for struggling families to pay their rent, water bills, and other basic services. Congressional Republicans are putting families at higher risk of evictions and shutoffs. 

Trump’s Cuts Will Get Worse Unless Democrats Stand Strong

Congressional Republicans can end this shutdown at any moment by coming to the table and negotiating a bill that includes “No Kings” measures. Congressional Democratic lawmakers must not concede.

Already, Trump has built a huge track record of cancelling funds already agreed to by Congress. He has slashed clean energy projects, environmental justice funding, food assistance programs, public radio and television, and much more. 

For example, he’s cut $1 billion in funding for federal programs that supply food banks, schools, and childcare centers with food grown by local farmers. In Pennsylvania, this has taken income away from 189 farmers and food away from 14 food banks. At one food bank, that translates to 500,000 fewer meals delivered to Pennsylvanians in need each month. 

Without a spending bill that stops rescissions, things will only get worse. Giving in to Trump and his allies in Congress won’t undo these cuts or make them play nice next time. They’ll do more and worse if Democrats don’t stand up to them now. 

So far, all but three members of the Senate Democratic Caucus have stood strong in this spending battle. We thank them for it and encourage them to hold the line. Meanwhile, Senator John Fetterman (D-PA), Senator Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Senator Angus King (I-ME) have folded to Trump’s demands and voted to clear the way for more dangerous cuts. They must change course.

This is a crucial opportunity for Congressional leaders to stand up to Trump, preserve vital programs and services, and fight for their constituents. Congress must end Trump’s dangerous government shutdown by passing a spending bill that includes “No Kings” language and safeguards essential funding for our food, water, and health.