The U.S. government has shut down. Here's what it means for Montanans.

Federally funded programs administered by Montana state agencies will continue as normal for at least 30 days, the governor’s office said Wednesday, after an impasse in the U.S. Senate led to the first government shutdown since 2018.

The federal government shut down at night after Republicans and Democrats in Congress failed to reach an agreement to fund operations into the new fiscal year, halting a slew of services that flow out of Washington D.C., to the rest of the country.

Services deemed essential will persist during the shutdown. Social Security and Medicare payments will still be issued and federal Medicaid reimbursements will be delivered to states. Air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration staff will report to work, though they won’t be paid until the s