Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Oct 27: The US government shutdown entered its 27th day on Monday, making it the second-longest funding lapse in American history, as Democrats and Republicans continued to trade blame with no end in sight.
The Senate is set to reconvene, but no immediate vote is expected on the House-passed funding measure. The shutdown began late last month after Congress failed to reach agreement on a spending package, furloughing hundreds of thousands of federal employees and disrupting critical government services nationwide.
The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal workers’ union, urged lawmakers to act, stating:
“It’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today.”
Federal employees missed their first full paycheck last week, raising concerns over the economic and social fallout. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he was not “100% sure” whether US military personnel would receive pay this week.
The Department of Agriculture warned that SNAP food aid could stop on November 1 unless funding is restored, affecting more than 40 million Americans who rely on the program.
Essential services like air traffic control, border protection, and federal law enforcement continue to operate, though without pay. Meanwhile, national parks, museums, and research facilities have either closed or limited operations.
On October 15, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from firing federal workers during the shutdown.
The stalemate stems from disputes over healthcare funding. Republicans and Democrats blame each other for the impasse, with Republicans claiming Democrats demand subsidies for illegal immigrants, while Democrats insist they are trying to reverse healthcare cuts for citizens under the Big Beautiful Bill passed earlier this year.
Despite Republican control of both the Senate and House, the funding bill still falls eight votes short in the Senate, where 60 votes are needed to pass it.
This shutdown is now second only to the 35-day closure from December 2018 to January 2019, making it one of the longest in US history.