The U.S. government shutdown entered its fourth week Wednesday, becoming the second longest in history, as Donald Trump's Republicans and the opposition Democrats faced increasing pressure to end a stalemate that has crippled public services.
Federal workers are set to miss their first full paychecks in the coming days, including tens of thousands of air traffic controllers and airport security agents -- an inflection point that helped end the last shutdown in 2019.
But with the current crisis entering Day 22, the bipartisan backbench groups in Congress who have struck deals behind the scenes to end past standoffs have hardly been talking, and there was no off-ramp in sight.
"This is now the second-longest government shutdown of any kind ever in the history of our country, and it's just shameful," Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters. "Democrats keep making history, but they're doing it for all the wrong reasons."
The government has been gradually grinding to a halt since Congress failed to pass a bill to keep federal departments and agencies funded and functioning past September 30.
At the heart of the standoff is a Democratic demand for an extension of expiring health insurance subsidies that keeps premiums affordable for millions of Americans.
Republicans -- who run Congress and the White House but need Democratic votes to pass most legislation -- say that debate should happen later, not as part of a must-pass funding bill.
Democrats in the Senate have repeatedly blocked a House-passed short-term extension of funds, keeping 1.4 million federal workers on enforced unpaid leave, or working without pay.
Around 63,000 air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration agents are considered essential workers and expected to stay at their posts during government shutdowns.
Employees calling in sick rather than working without pay -- leading to significant delays -- was a major factor in Trump bringing an end to the 2019 shutdown, the longest in history at 35 days.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop at two Houston airports on Tuesday due to staffing issues, according to a notice on its website, and the aviation industry has voiced fears over worsening absences as the shutdown drags on.
"For every day the government is shut down and employees in the aviation ecosystem are still furloughed, another layer of safety may be peeled away," Dave Spero, president of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists union, said in a statement.
Confounding expectations at the start of the shutdown, Democrats have maintained a largely united front as they have repeatedly rejected Republican efforts to reopen the government.
"We're ready, we're willing, we're able to reopen the government to enact a bipartisan spending agreement that actually meets the needs of the American people," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said at a hearing on the impacts of the shutdown.
With no end in sight to the stalemate, Senate Republicans are under pressure to change the 60-vote threshold to advance legislation -- known as the "filibuster" -- so that they can approve the House-passed funding resolution without Democratic help.
They are hoping to avoid that so-called "nuclear option" and instead turn public opinion against Democrats this week with a measure to safeguard the pay of military personnel and essential federal workers.
The minority party is planning to block the measure, arguing that it cedes further power to Trump while failing to help 750,000 nonessential workers who have been placed on enforced leave without pay.
© 2025 AFP
16 Comments
Underworld
Trump sure likes his long shutdowns.
TaiwanIsNotChina
The American public cannot sleep through what this administration is doing and hopefully the insurance letters going out next month will be a big wake up call.
Blacklabel
Democrats can vote to reopen the government any time they are ready.
Underworld
Blacklabel
Indeed. So what are the GOP doing to get their vote?
Yeah, it's real. The Trump shutdown is the result of the GOP refusing to negotiate.
If you don't have the votes, you have to negotiate, but Trump doesn't understand that, which is why it is only when Trump is president you have these long shutdowns.
lincolnman
Military families being denied their paychecks, air traffic controllers are working at dangerous levels....but that $250 million new White House ballroom boondoggle is sure coming along...
The needless Republican shutdown of 2025 is doing that same damage to our country that it did THE LAST TIME they did it in 2018...
But this time they're starting to crack - even MAGA loyalist MTG says her party is WRONG and health insurance premiums will DOUBLE without the subsidies...
Argentina gets $20 billion but our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines just get the MAGA shaft...so typical...
Blacklabel
“Chuck Schumer says it should "frighten every American" when a presidential administration is shielded by the press.”
lol yeah Trump is totally “shielded by the press”.
Chuck is losing it over his failed shutdown now looking to blame the press.
Blacklabel
it is! At zero cost to the taxpayer, so quite irrelevant. But yeah the construction seems going well so far.
lincolnman
So MAGA-fans, we all know you LOVE MTG as you've professed so many times in posts here...is she right when she says Repubs are to blame for the shutdown and that health care premiums will DOUBLE for regular MAGA families?
"Greene said her office tracks calls from constituents and that many support her efforts to address health insurance costs, warning that repealing the Affordable Care Act would cause prices to "skyrocket."
She placed blame for the shutdown on House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, saying Republican leaders should act to prevent further harm."
Or are those all blatant lies?
Blacklabel
I don’t know.
Isn’t this article about air safety?
lincolnman
Indeed - because of the SHUTDOWN - as in the TITLE OF THE ARTICLE..."Air safety in focus as U.S. government shutdown hits fourth week"....
MTG says the SHUTDOWN is the fault of Mike Johnson and John Thune - you know, YOUR TEAM...
"She placed blame for the shutdown on House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, saying Republican leaders should act to prevent further harm."
So is she right or is she lying?
Blacklabel
I don’t know, but you are missing the focus.
“Air safety in focus as U.S. government shutdown hits fourth week"
Blacklabel
“Congressional Democrats are privately preparing to hold their position in the shutdown standoff for several more weeks if Republicans do not agree to their health care demands – and not even a missed paycheck for US troops will force them to yield,” CNN reported.
“Another senior Democratic aide said as long as public perception is in their favor, the party will not concede short of “planes falling out of the sky.”” – CNN reported.
disgusting politicians.
lincolnman
Uh, and what again is the title at the top?
“Air safety in focus as U.S. government shutdown hits fourth week"
And MTG says the SHUTDOWN it's all the Republican's fault...you know, the same thing Schumer and Jeffries are saying...
"She placed blame for the shutdown on House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, saying Republican leaders should act to prevent further harm."
So, what do you think of her siding with the Libs? Is what she is saying factually correct or a lie?
Yrral
Bush and Hobby shut down flight yesterday in Houston,Bush is the the major airport in Texas
lincolnman
Silence...another day, another MAGA surrender...
Blacklabel
Don’t care.
do care about this:
“Shutdowns are terrible and, of course, there will be, you know, families that are going to suffer,” she said.
“We take that responsibility very seriously. But it is one of the few leverage items we have….”