The US Embassy in India has good news for anyone waiting on passport or visa services: they say operations will keep running smoothly, even with the ongoing government shutdown in Washington.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the embassy explained, “At this time, scheduled passport and visa services in the United States and at US embassies and consulates overseas will continue during the lapse in appropriations as the situation permits.” They added that they won’t update their account until full operations restart, except for urgent safety alerts. For the latest on services and status, check out travel.state.gov.
This update comes right in the middle of the US government shutdown, which kicked off after lawmakers couldn’t agree on a funding bill. Without that cash, many federal departments are losing money, halting non-essential services across the board.
Tensions boiled over on Tuesday when Democrats in the Senate blocked a Republican spending plan. Democratic leaders had met with President Donald Trump on Monday, but talks fell flat. Not long after, Trump posted an AI-generated video on Truth Social, poking fun at House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Trump kept up the pressure Tuesday, slamming Democrats for not budging an inch. He even warned of more federal layoffs, saying, “When you shut it down, you have to do layoffs—we’d be laying off a lot of people.”
At the heart of the standoff: Democrats want to roll back healthcare cuts from the “Big Beautiful Bill” passed earlier this year. Republicans, meanwhile, refuse to give in and suggested stretching funding through November 21 instead.
Even though Republicans hold both the Senate and House, they need 60 votes to pass the bill in the Senate—and they’re short by seven. This marks the first US government shutdown in seven years; the last one, during Trump’s first term, dragged on for a record 35 days.
Key services like border security, law enforcement, and air traffic control will stay up and running. But programs for food assistance, government-funded preschool, food safety inspections, and national parks could face big disruptions.
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
