Marketplace®

Daily business news and economic stories
Episode 1474Oct 14, 2025

When the government shuts down, tribal communities get the shaft

Why aren’t services in tribal communities funded through government shutdowns like Social Security?

Download
When the government shuts down, tribal communities get the shaft
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

Subscribe:

The effects of government shutdowns are felt particularly deeply in tribal communities across the United States. That’s because the federal government has a constitutional obligation to fund services in Indian Country. But when the government closes, tribal nations are left to pick up the tab. Marketplace’s Savannah Peters joins Kimberly to explain how tribal communities get caught up in the federal government’s dysfunctional budget process and why tribal leaders argue this needs to change.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.

The Team