As of Monday, October 24th, the federal government has officially been shut down for almost four weeks—24 days and counting—making it currently the second-longest shutdown in U.S. history. The standoff began on October 1, when Congress failed to pass a spending bill to fund the government for the new fiscal year.
Government shutdowns occur when Congress can not agree on how to appropriate their budget, thus leading to federal agencies running out of money to operate. In this case, the Senate and House of Representatives are locked in a political battle over what should be included in the funding package. Without a deal, much of the federal government has come to a halt.
Around 900,000 federal employees have been furloughed, meaning they have been temporarily let go without pay, and many others are still working but not receiving pay. Services such as airport security, the military, and mail delivery are still operational, but delays and shortages are accumulating. Throughout the week of October 26, more than 8,000 flights were delayed nationwide as air traffic control centers struggled to stay fully staffed.
However, the impact goes far beyond Washington, D.C. Millions of Americans rely on federal programs that are now in danger of running out of money. The SNAP program, which provides food assistance to more than 40 million citizens, is expected to stop payments by November 1 if the shutdown continues. Other programs—like energy aid for low-income households and preschool funding—are also at risk.
Several states have started taking action on their own. In California, for example, Governor Gavin Newsom has deployed state volunteers and the National Guard to help food banks that are seeing rising demand as federal aid slows down.
The main disagreement causing the shutdown is due to the extremely polarized political climate of today. Senate Democrats are pushing for changes to healthcare and social programs to be included in the funding bill, while Republicans argue that the government should reopen first and negotiate those changes later. So far, neither side has budged. The Democratic Party has heavily critiqued its adversaries for refusing to provide relief during the shutdown; Democratic Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro said, “This is perhaps the most cruel and unlawful offence the Trump administration has perpetrated yet.”
Meanwhile, federal workers unions are calling the shutdown “an avoidable crisis” and are demanding that Congress pass a “clean” funding bill – one without political strings attached – and guarantee full back pay for every worker affected.
If Congress doesn’t reach an agreement soon, the consequences will keep spreading. Delays at airports could worsen, federal assistance programs could stop payments, and everyday services might become harder to access. For everyday Americans, this shutdown is a real-time lesson in how government gridlock can have very real effects on people’s lives – from the price of groceries to the time it takes to get through airport security.
