Amid U.S. Shutdown, Democratic States’ Funding Frozen at $26 Billion

Amid the U.S. government shutdown, federal funding to Democratic-leaning states has been frozen at $26 billion. The U.S. administration has halted payments to states with a Democratic electorate due to the partial government shutdown caused by budget disagreements, according to TASS citing Reuters.

The restrictions on fund disbursements affect transportation projects in New York ($18 billion), as well as green energy programs across 16 states, including California and Illinois.

The U.S. federal government ceased operations at midnight on October 1 due to the lack of funding. This occurred because representatives of the ruling Republican and opposition Democratic parties in Congress could not agree on various appropriations, including healthcare funding. They have accused each other of provoking and prolonging the shutdown for political reasons.

According to U.S. law, agencies responsible for national security and foreign policy continue operations during a federal shutdown. Similarly, government employees engaged in activities aimed at "protecting life and property" are also expected to work.

Since 1977, federal government shutdowns due to disagreements between the administration and Congress have occurred over 20 times. The longest shutdown lasted 35 days—from December 22, 2018, to January 25, 2019—during Donald Trump’s first term as president.