The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) just announced that it will furlough over 34,000 workers starting October 8, 2025. That’s nearly half of its entire workforce. These furloughs are happening because Congress failed to pass a spending bill or a continuing resolution before the October 1 deadline. In plain terms, the government ran out of money to keep certain operations going, and now many federal workers are being told to stay home without pay.
Most of the IRS services the public depends on—like call centers and IT support—are shutting down. Only a small number of workers will stay on the job, mainly those who are carrying out the tax and spending laws signed by President Trump back in July. These laws were passed to help bring more order and fairness to how our tax dollars are used. So it’s only right that the people enforcing those laws keep working.
This shutdown is not just about missing paychecks. It’s a test of how we understand the Constitution and the role of Congress. The Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse. That means it must approve how and when the federal government spends money. When Congress can’t do its job, or when it refuses to act, the whole government suffers. And in this case, so do hard-working Americans.
We must understand that a government shutdown is not just a mistake—it’s a sign of deeper problems in how Washington works. The federal government has grown too large, too fast, and too far beyond what the Founders intended. Agencies like the IRS now have thousands of employees and budgets that stretch into the billions. Yet they still can’t operate responsibly without constant new streams of taxpayer money.
That’s not how this country was meant to run. The Founders believed in a limited government—one that serves the people, not the other way around. They gave Congress the power to control spending so that no part of government could grow too powerful or wasteful. In moments like this, when funding runs out, it’s a chance to step back and ask: Are we using our money wisely? Or are we throwing it into a bloated system that doesn’t serve the American people well?
Let’s also talk about fairness to federal workers. Back in 2019, a law was passed saying federal employees should get back pay after a shutdown ends. But this time, the Trump administration is saying that Congress must specifically authorize that back pay. That’s not a political trick. That’s how our system works. Congress holds the purse strings, and if they want to pay workers for time they weren’t allowed to work, they have to vote on it. That’s called accountability.
Some Democrats in the Senate are demanding that workers be paid no matter what. But they’re ignoring the rule of law. The Constitution doesn’t allow money to be spent just because someone says it’s fair. It must be approved by Congress. That’s not cruelty—that’s responsibility.
Of course, it’s not easy for workers who don’t know when their next paycheck is coming. The Trump administration has asked banks and credit unions to be flexible with workers during this time. That’s a smart and kind step, but it doesn’t replace Congress doing its job.
This shutdown should be a wake-up call. We must return to the principles of our Founding Fathers—a government that is limited, accountable, and faithful to the Constitution. It’s time for Congress to stop playing politics and start doing its duty. And it’s time for all of us to remember that liberty, not bureaucracy, is what makes this country great.
