The government standstill has entered its 36th day, making it the longest closure on record. Congress has failed to approve funding for the new fiscal year that began on October 1.
The US government shutdown on Wednesday entered its 36th day, making it the longest on record. The previous longest-running shutdown took place during US President Donald Trump‘s first term in office.
The current stalemate is rooted in a battle over health care in which the Democrats are insisting on firm commitments to extend health care benefits.
“Why is this happening? We’re in a shutdown because our colleagues are unwilling to come to the table to talk about one simple thing: health care premiums,” Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar said in a late evening speech.
“Stop this mess, come to the table, negotiate it,” she said.
What is a government shutdown?
A “shutdown” takes place when Congress — comprised of the Senate and the House of Representatives — and the president fail to agree on the release of new budget funds.
If no budget is passed, the government is unable to approve new spending, meaning large chunks of the state apparatus temporarily cease to work.
Under the shutdown, federal workers are furloughed or continue to work without pay.
The impasse is impacting millions of Americans with federal program cuts, flight delays and federal workers nationwide left without salaries.
Trump has threatened to halt Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food aid unless Democrats agree to reopen the government.
Warnings of travel chaos
Air travel is among the vital sectors impacted, with tens of thousands of air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers working without pay.
The American Automobile Association (AAA) has predicted a bumper period of travel for Thanksgiving, with nearly 6 million set to fly domestically over the November 27 holiday.
The Trump administration has warned of turmoil at the country’s airports should the crisis continue.
“So if you bring us to a week from today, Democrats, you will see mass chaos…you will see mass flight delays,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told reporters in Philadelphia. “You’ll see mass cancellations, and you may see us close certain parts of the airspace, because we just cannot manage it because we don’t have the air traffic controllers.”
In October, as the impasse was dragging on, Germany said it would pay some 11,000 local employees at US military bases as salary payments hung in the balance.
