U.S. Federal Government Shutdown Becomes Second Longest Ever

What Happened?

The U.S. federal government shutdown became the second longest in American history after passing the twenty-one-day mark this week. With the House of Representatives adjourned, the U.S. Senate tried a dozen times to reopen the federal government, but none of the proposed spending bills brought before the Senate garnered enough votes to pass.

The shutdown has placed roughly three-quarters of a million federal workers on furlough, forced air traffic controllers and other essential workers to work without pay, and closed national parks, federal offices, and museums. If the government fails to reopen by November 1^st, health care coverage and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) for millions of Americans could be lost or interrupted.

Why it Matters

With the government shutdown now entering its third week, neither Democrats nor Republicans appear ready to make any concessions or to give in to the demands of their political opponents. To the contrary, both sides appear to be digging in for the long haul, which means this shutdown has the potential to become the longest ever.  

A key point of contention has been the health care subsidies, which became law as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010. Those subsidies are set to expire November 1^st, and Senate Democrats have insisted they be extended or they will not vote to reopen the government. Republicans refused to include subsidy extensions in any of their proposed spending bills this week.

The impasse in Washington has thus far had a limited impact around the country, but as November 1^st draws near, the potential for the shutdown to be felt directly by millions of Americans is growing. An estimated forty-one million Americans rely on SNAP benefits in order to buy food, and if those benefits are interrupted, many of those people would be unable to purchase enough food to meet minimum daily calorie requirements.

For the ACA subsidies, twenty-two million Americans receive them in order to make their health insurance affordable. Without those subsidies, millions could lose coverage because they will be unable to pay their monthly insurance premiums. For many, that means they would be unable to get life-saving medications or receive necessary treatment for health problems. Critics are correct that the ACA subsidies are expensive, but the reason they cost so much is because of the high costs of health care insurance itself.

How it Affects You

The impact on SNAP and ACA beneficiaries will be felt widely in red and blue states alike. Which will likely increase the pressure on U.S. lawmakers to find a way to reopen the government if the shutdown goes past the first of November. If the shutdown continues past November 5^th, it will officially become the longest in American history.