JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – The federal government shut down on October 1, 2025. Now, it’s up to lawmakers to agree on a spending bill that would eventually reopen the government.

“Historically, they last somewhere between seven and 10 days. I would expect that this would probably be in that range,” said U.S. Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss.).

The shutdown became a certainty after lawmakers voted down a pair of stopgap funding packages — one a “clean” bill offered by Republicans, the other filled with Democratic priorities — on Tuesday evening, with few discussions taking place between the party leaders to find a pathway to a deal. 

At the heart of the shutdown is an insistence by Democrats that the stopgap bill must include a provision to extend the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, and a refusal by Republicans to include the credits in government funding negotiations.

“They want to take health care from the least of these, and they want Democrats to go along with it. We’re not going to do it,” said U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.).

The tax credits are set to expire at the end of the year and are expected to cause an increase in health insurance premiums.

Guest said Republicans are open to discussing the enhanced subsidies.

“If this is a priority of the Democrat party, what are they willing to cut, offset so that this program can be refunded? We, as Republicans, are willing to have that conversation, but that conversation is not going to be had during the government shutdown,” Guest stated.

The Hill contributed to this report.