U.S. Government Shutdown to Become Longest in American History

What Happened?

The U.S. government shutdown is poised to become the longest in American history if it is not reopened by Tuesday evening, though reopening the government is now a better possibility since the U.S. House of Representatives will be back in session. To advance a new spending bill, sixty votes are needed in the U.S. Senate, though currently neither party has that many votes available. 

Congressional Republicans and Democrats remained divided over how to pass a new spending bill, continuing to blame each other for the interruption of U.S. government operations.

Why it Matters

The U.S. government shutdown, now the longest ever, is being felt directly by the American public. Pay stoppages for federal employees, including air traffic controllers, have led to staff shortages at airports and thousands of flight delays across the country. Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits did not go out to some forty-two million Americans on November 1^st, which could cause some recipients to go hungry until funding is received.

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Crucial government data on economic indicators is also missing since regular reports have not gone out on time due to furloughed civil servants. That has led some critics to claim the U.S. economy is flying blind because the metrics needed to evaluate economic activity are missing from the arena of public discourse. Government agencies tasked with tracking and evaluating the economy are closed due to funding lapses stemming from the impasse in Congress.

Some Congressional leaders sounded hopeful that the end of the shutdown could come after Tuesday’s elections. Though there aren’t any federal elections this year, there are two governors races (New Jersey and Virginia) along with a closely watched mayoral contest in New York City. If Democrats give in before the elections, their constituents may think they’ve been sold out, but if Democrats win, which they are favored to do by current polls, that could put more pressure on Republicans to make a deal.

President Trump, who has largely stayed out of the back and forth between Congressional Democrats and Republicans, gave a 60 Minutes interview in which he blamed Democrats for the shutdown and said it was up to them to vote yes on a new spending bill. The President has been vocal about the elections on Tuesday, which means the outcome could be seen as a referendum on his administration.

How it Affects You

With the House back in session and Tuesday’s elections underway, the odds of the shutdown ending this week have increased. Though significant differences still remain between the two major political parties, public pressure is growing on both sides to find a way to reopen the U.S. government.