Federal offices on Capitol Hill remained shuttered and largely quiet on Thursday as the government passed the 15-day mark of a shutdown that entered its 16th day, bringing into sharper relief the practical consequences for education programs and families across the country. ABC News Live Prime’s Oct. 16 broadcast threaded national security interviews and deep features into its coverage of a domestic fiscal impasse that shows few signs of an immediate resolution.

On the program, ABC correspondents pressed for specifics about the operational impact at the U.S. Department of Education and at school districts that rely on federal funds and technical support. “We are working to minimize disruptions to students and families,” the Education Department said in a statement to ABC News Live, adding that some fiscal-year grant disbursements and administrative functions could be delayed while nonessential staff are furloughed.

Education experts and district officials told ABC that the practical effects vary: student loan servicing contractors generally continue to operate but some administrative processes that require federal action could slow. Head Start grantees that depend on federal reimbursements face increased cash-flow pressures, and rural districts that lean on federal grants for special education or Title I supports could be forced to draw on reserves or scale back services. The U.S. Department of Education did not provide a timeline for restoring full services.

The ABC broadcast also addressed the most-searched shutdown questions from viewers: who is paid, what services stop, whether benefits are at risk and how long economic consequences might persist. The network answered that federal employees deemed essential continue work without pay, that mandatory benefits generally continue, and that many program disruptions hinge on how long the funding gap endures. Those answers underscore a central policy reality: shutdowns are not technical defaults but political choices that shift costs onto state and local governments, school districts and private contractors.

Political leaders remained entrenched on Thursday. Floor calendars posted by the House and Senate showed no scheduled votes to reopen the government, and negotiators continued to trade public demands. The institutional breakdown highlights how congressional voting patterns and narrow majorities can amplify leverage in appropriations fights, often at the expense of routine administration.

ABC juxtaposed the domestic turmoil with high-profile international coverage, airing Martha Raddatz’s interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Robin Roberts’ profile of Ukraine’s president and first lady. The programming underline made a point ABC analysts emphasized on air: while international crises command sustained attention, domestic governance failures produce immediate, everyday impacts on schools, families and local economies.

For voters and civic actors, the immediate takeaway is procedural: call your representatives, track appropriations votes, and press for contingency plans in your district. As ABC’s shutdown coverage demonstrated, the questions the public is asking are less about partisan blame and more about practical relief—paychecks, school meals, and services for vulnerable students—which will remain at stake until Congress provides funding.