Citizens Hurting, Shutdown Becomes Longest In U.S. History

India-West News Desk

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. government shutdown that began on October 1 officially entered its 36th day on November 5, surpassing the previous record of 35 days set between December 2018 and January 2019 during the first Trump administration. That earlier shutdown had cost the economy an estimated $3 billion in lost GDP.

The current impasse stems from a failure in Congress to reach agreement on federal spending, with tensions focused on expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies. Democrats are leveraging the subsidies to push for extensions, while Republicans, who control both chambers but require 60 Senate votes to pass legislation, insist discussions cannot occur until the government reopens.

The shutdown has caused a cascade of problems across government operations:

• Over 1 million federal employees are working without pay, while roughly 600,000 have been furloughed, creating uncertainty despite a 2019 law guaranteeing back pay.
• Critical public services have been curtailed: air traffic control shortages have disrupted flights, national parks have reduced operations, and Smithsonian museums remain closed.
• The IRS has furloughed nearly half its workforce, delaying taxpayer assistance.
• Tens of thousands of low-income children face the potential loss of Head Start program access.
• Federal food and nutrition benefits, including SNAP, were temporarily halted. Payments are now set to resume following judicial pushback, but delays and reduced amounts are expected.
• The House of Representatives has remained largely out of session due to GOP maneuvers preventing a newly elected Democrat from taking office, allowing the Speaker to maintain a slim majority.
• Senate attempts to pass a stopgap funding bill approved 14 times by the House have repeatedly failed, prolonging the stalemate.

President Trump addressed the ongoing crisis in a CBS News interview, blaming Democrats for the impasse and urging Senate Republicans to end the filibuster to bypass them which they have refused to.