The shutdown of the United States federal government reached 35 days on November 5, surpassing the record of 34 days recorded during the 2018-2019 shutdown. It is about the most extensive institutional paralysis in history modern of the country.
Government financing expired at midnight on September 30, 2025and since then Congress has been unable to pass a continuing resolution to reopen federal operations.
The crisis arose when Republicans and Democrats failed to agree on the extension of health insurance subsidies, federal spending levels and the scope of government operations under the Trump administration.
The central sticking point revolves around the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, and specifically the extension of tax credits for health insurance premiums established during the pandemic.
Before the shutdown, Republicans and Democrats proposed budget resolutions in the Senate, but both were rejected.
The Republican proposal would have funded the government through Nov. 21, keeping most spending at 2025 levels while extending some health and veterans programs; while the Democratic bill included health care provisions as an extension of the expansion of premium tax credits.
An unprecedented political blockade
Since the beginning of the closure on October 1, the Senate has voted 13 times on an approved resolution by the House of Representatives to finance the government until November 21.
With 53 Republicans in the Senate compared to 45 Democrats and two independents aligned with the latter, the Republicans have not managed to gather the 60 votes necessary to overcome the so-called “filibuster.”
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer has criticized President Trump for prioritizing other issues during the crisis.
Democrats refuse to vote on the Republican proposal until Obamacare subsidies are renewed, arguing that eliminating them would significantly increase insurance premiums by 2026.
For their part, Republicans accuse Democrats of trying to extend this aid to undocumented immigrants and demand an immediate reopening before discussing subsidies.
Federal employees without pay
Approximately 670,000 federal employees have been temporarily suspended without pay, while about 730,000 considered essential continue to work without pay.
Among those affected are 13,000 air traffic controllers and military personnel, whose situation has generated special concern.
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy says it could create “absolute chaos”.
“There will be massive delays, cancellations and we could close part of the airspace, because we simply do not have enough controllers,” the official warned.
This could mean a 20% reduction in flights in the US, according to Duffy.
“If the government opens tomorrow—which it won’t, it doesn’t seem like it— It will take days to evaluate the controllers who return to their facilities or towers“Duffy told America Reports.
An EFE note this Friday indicated that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had applied a 10% reduction in air traffic at 40 of the country’s busiest airports as a security measure in the face of the partial government closure.
Imminent food crisis
On the other hand, one of the most serious effects that the government shutdown affects is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Approximately 42 million Americans depend on food stamps that arrive monthly.
The Department of Agriculture announced that SNAP benefits would not be issued on November 1, although 25 states subsequently asked a federal judge in Massachusetts to order the Department of Agriculture to provide November benefits.
President Trump defied court orders by posting on social media that SNAP benefits “They will only be granted when the radical left democrats reopen the Government“, despite the fact that two federal courts ordered continuing funding for the program.
Economic impact
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that this shutdown could temporarily reduce the country’s economic output by 1 percentage point if it lasts four weeks and 2 points if it is extended to eight weeks.
Although much of the decline will be reversed upon reopening, GDP will face a sustained loss of $7 billion after four weeks, $11 billion after six weeks, and $14 billion after eight weeks.
Possible solutions?
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has expressed cautious optimism. Thune said that some recognize the excessive duration of the conflict and hoped that it could be resolved soon. However, the positions remain irreconcilable.
An extension of the tax credit expansion would increase the number of people with health insurance by 3.8 million and raise the deficit by $350 billion by 2035, according to Congressional Budget Office estimates.
This is precisely the core of the disagreement: Democrats consider these subsidies essential to guarantee access to health, while Republicans see them as excessive spending.
With Thanksgiving approaching on November 27 and urgency growing over the suspension of critical services, the pressure on both parties is increasing by the day.
However, so far there are no clear signs of an imminent commitment to end this historic crisis that has paralyzed the US federal government.
No party wants to give in because it considers that it would be betraying its fundamental principles. In the end, this conflict involves an ideological battle that goes far beyond budget amounts: it is about what kind of country the United States wants to be.
