The U.S. government shutdown entered its 23rd day on Thursday, making it the second-longest closure in American history, behind only the 35-day shutdown of 2018–2019 during Donald Trump’s first term over border wall funding.
This year’s impasse centers on a partisan dispute over expiring health-care subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. Democrats argue that extending the subsidies is necessary to prevent 22 million Americans from facing steep premium hikes in January. Republicans, however, refuse to approve temporary relief without broader spending cuts.
President Trump met with Senate Republicans at the White House on Tuesday, but the session appeared to harden positions rather than produce a compromise. “Our message has been very simple: we will not be extorted by this crazy plot of theirs,” Trump said after the meeting. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries requested a meeting before Trump’s upcoming Asia trip, but the President indicated he would not negotiate until the government reopens.
To pass a temporary spending bill reopening the government until November 21, Senate Republicans need at least eight Democratic votes to overcome a filibuster. Republican leader John Thune has promised a floor vote on renewed ACA subsidies once federal operations resume, but Democrats remain unconvinced. “That’s not a deal,” Schumer said. “That’s a partisan plan that leaves the American people high and dry.”
Economic fallout widens
The economic impact is becoming more pronounced. Civilian federal employees, who received partial pay earlier this month, are expected to miss their first full paycheck on Friday. The White House warns that accounting measures may soon fail to cover military salaries or key food-aid programs.
The administration has already frozen or canceled $28 billion in federal projects, many in Democratic-majority states. Plans for mass layoffs in the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Interior were temporarily blocked by court orders amid legal disputes over shutdown authority.
Historical context
Since 1980, when furloughs began during funding lapses, shutdown durations have been:
- 2018–2019: 35 days — Trump border-wall dispute
- 2025: 23 days — Health-care subsidy stalemate
- 1995–1996: 22 days — Clinton budget clash
- 2013: 16 days — ACA and debt ceiling dispute
- 1995: 6 days — Prelude to longer 1996 shutdown
- 1990: 3 days — Deficit-reduction fight
- 2018: 3 days — Dreamers immigration issue
Political polarization deepens
The shutdown has intensified political gridlock. Trump and allies describe Democrats’ stance as “economic blackmail,” while Democrats accuse the President of using federal operations as leverage. Analysts warn that an extended closure could undermine confidence in the U.S. economy, disrupt markets, and slow hiring — echoing the 2018 shutdown’s effects.
“The real casualty here is not just government efficiency,” one policy researcher said, “but the credibility of American governance itself.”
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