U.S. government shutdown freezes operations worldwide

At 12:01 a.m. Washington time, the United States government officially shut down after Congress failed to reach an agreement to extend funding for federal agencies.

The shutdown means that only essential services will continue until lawmakers reach a compromise. These include critical national security operations though many of the employees involved will remain unpaid during the lapse in appropriations.

This marks the first government shutdown since January 2019, during former President Donald Trump’s first term.

While the most severe consequences will be felt domestically, the effects are also rippling across the globe.

U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide have been forced to limit operations to pre-scheduled appointments for passport and visa services.

The U.S. Embassy in Lebanon announced on X (formerly Twitter):

At this time, scheduled passport and visa services in the United States and at U.S. Embassies and Consulates overseas will continue during the lapse in appropriations as the situation permits

The embassy also stated that its social-media updates would be restricted to urgent safety and security information only.

“Because of the lapse in appropriations, this X account will not be updated regularly until full operations resume, with the exception of urgent safety and security information,” read the embassy’s post on October 1.

Historically, U.S. government shutdowns have lasted from a few hours to more than a month, depending on how quickly lawmakers can break their deadlock.

However, with Democrats and Republicans refusing to concede ground, it remains unclear how long this closure will last.