For many students across the United States, a congressional internship is more than just a line on a résumé—it’s a rite of passage, a professional springboard, and, for some, the realization of a long-held dream to serve at the heart of American democracy. But as of October 31, 2025, those dreams have been thrown into limbo by a federal government shutdown that has now stretched to 30 days and counting, leaving roughly 670,000 federal workers furloughed and another 730,000 working without pay. Among the most affected are the thousands of interns on Capitol Hill, many of them students from universities like Georgetown, who are now left with little to do but wait—and worry.
The impact of the shutdown is both immediate and deeply personal. Timothy Cole-French, a Georgetown student interning for a member of the Massachusetts delegation, described the surreal experience of seeing his hard-won internship stall. "Above all, it was surreal, just because shutdowns are big national news," Cole-French told The Hoya. "I would hear about it back in Boston when I was in high school, but then to just be in the midst of it was crazy." He had sought out the internship specifically to gain the Capitol Hill experience required for future roles in law or lobbying. Now, he’s among the many students whose professional plans are on pause.
For Anita Tun, another Georgetown student who interned for Rep. Lou Correa (D-Calif.), the shutdown has been a blow to her academic and career ambitions. "One of my favorite parts about interning at the House was going to all these types of briefings, of issues that I’ve never known prior," she explained to The Hoya. "It opened a lot of other avenues of, ‘oh, maybe I’m interested in pursuing health care policy or XYZ.’ Now, that door is kind of closed in regards to learning all these different new topics through briefings." Tun, like many of her peers, was initially attracted to Georgetown for its proximity to the seat of power and the professional opportunities it offers. The shutdown, she said, has been especially disappointing given the competitive nature of securing such roles.
It’s not just the loss of experience that stings. For some interns, the shutdown has brought real financial hardship. Katherine Russo, a graduate student in American history at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, had to sell her car and rely on parental support after being furloughed from the office of Rep. Deborah Ross (D-N.C.), she told NPR. "I have had to make myself comfortable with the idea of relying on food banks, which is something that I have never had to do," Russo said. "But I’m coming to terms with the fact that at a certain point, I’m going to have to because there’s no end in sight for this." Despite these challenges, Russo remains undeterred in her commitment to public service. "When you believe in an institution in the way that I believe in our federal legislature and you see it not working, like, the thing that you want to do is help," she said. "If anything, I’m in this for the long haul."
The numbers behind the shutdown are staggering. According to NPR and The Hoya, the federal government closure, which began on October 1, has left thousands of congressional interns—like Jordan Chantha (Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass.), Addison Harold (Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va.), and Henry Jones (Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass.)—furloughed. The Senate has failed 13 votes to pass a continuing resolution to fund the government, with Democrats holding out over the exclusion of an extension of health care tax credits. If the shutdown continues through November 5, it will break the record for the longest government closure, surpassing the previous 34-day stretch.
The effects ripple far beyond Capitol Hill. Some students, like Lukas Pitman, a Georgetown intern at the House Appropriations Committee, have found a silver lining in the forced downtime. "I’ve actually been able to focus more time on my classes," Pitman told The Hoya. "When we were in session, I really wasn’t able to focus on my classes. I wasn’t able to, just at the time, get all the readings done, do the assignments, maybe as I should have." Anika Rahman echoed this sentiment, noting that the extra time has allowed her to get ahead on schoolwork after being furloughed from her unpaid Department of Commerce internship. But even these academic gains are tinged with frustration and uncertainty about the future.
For others, the shutdown has prompted a reconsideration of career plans. Wyatt Adamovich, a Georgetown intern in Rep. Glenn Grothman’s (R-Wis.) office, admitted that the instability of government work has made him consider the private sector. "This break has made me think about pursuing opportunities in the private sector because things like shutdowns can’t happen there," Adamovich wrote to The Hoya. "One of the things that worried me about working in politics is the uncertainty of my employment. Previously, this had been because jobs depend on which party is in power, but now I’m realizing that the federal budget is another variable in this."
The shutdown’s consequences extend to the most vulnerable. Students like Sean Moran, an unpaid intern in Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s (D-N.Y.) office, voiced concern not just for themselves, but for federal employees living paycheck to paycheck and for Americans who rely on government services. "Just because we’re not essential employees, it doesn’t really have that much of an effect, but it’s very unfortunate that it’s happening to people that are living paycheck to paycheck," Moran told The Hoya. With Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and other essential services at risk as of November 1, the stakes are rising.
As November approaches, several benchmarks are expected to increase pressure on Congress to resolve the impasse. Congressional staffers are scheduled to miss pay on November 5, Obamacare enrollment opens November 1, and holiday travel could be snarled by Transportation Security Administration furloughs. Yet, for now, the political gridlock continues, and the uncertainty only deepens for interns and staff alike.
Despite the hardship, some students are trying to see the bigger picture. Cole-French, for one, finds a strange sense of validation in being at the center of a national event, even if it’s not the experience he signed up for. "As frustrating and annoying as it is, it is also just interesting to witness firsthand this sort of major event," he said. "Because I think that is one of the other promises of Georgetown, is through its proximity to the seat of power, you just witness whatever sort of political drama is going on. So even if I’m not getting to have the full hilltern experience, I’m getting to have a very authentically Georgetown experience by witnessing this major political event."
For the thousands of interns whose futures have been put on hold, the shutdown is a lesson in both the fragility and the resilience of American civic life. Whether it leads them to double down on their commitment to public service or nudges them toward other paths, this chapter will not soon be forgotten.
