The United States government shutdown entered the record books on Wednesday as the longest in the nation’s history, surpassing the 35-day stalemate during Donald Trump’s first term, with warnings of mounting economic pain, travel chaos, and disruption to welfare programs.
Gatekeepers News reports that Federal operations have been largely paralyzed since October 1, when Congress failed to pass a new spending bill. As the deadlock drags on, critical programs — including food assistance for millions of low-income Americans — hang in the balance.
Despite tentative discussions on Capitol Hill, about 1.4 million federal workers, from air traffic controllers to park rangers, remain either furloughed or working without pay.
Hours before the shutdown broke the record, the Trump administration warned of nationwide travel turmoil if the impasse stretches beyond a sixth week.
“So if you bring us to a week from today, Democrats, you will see mass chaos — mass flight delays, mass cancellations, and possibly the closure of parts of U.S. airspace because we don’t have enough air traffic controllers,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at a news conference in Philadelphia.
The Thanksgiving holiday is expected to see record air travel this year, with the American Automobile Association (AAA) projecting 5.8 million domestic flyers. However, more than 60,000 air traffic controllers and TSA officers are currently working without pay, raising fears of widespread absenteeism and airport delays.
Both Democrats and Republicans remain entrenched over the main sticking point — health care spending. Democrats insist the shutdown will only end once a deal is reached to extend expiring health insurance subsidies, while Republicans demand that funding be restored before negotiations on health policy can proceed.
Amid hardened leadership positions, a small group of moderate lawmakers has begun exploring potential compromises. A bipartisan House group unveiled a proposal Monday aimed at reducing health insurance costs and breaking the deadlock.
President Trump, however, has refused to budge, telling CBS News that he would “not be extorted.” He has warned of mass federal layoffs and threatened to suspend food aid to over 42 million Americans, though courts have blocked such action.
In a later clarification, the White House said it was “fully complying” with legal obligations and working to disburse partial Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments “as much as we can and as quickly as we can.”
For now, Washington remains gridlocked — and the human and economic toll of the record-breaking shutdown continues to mount.
