The longest US government shutdown in history

The US government shutdown reached its 36th day yesterday, making it officially the longest in the nation’s history – and there’s no end in sight.

There have been 15 federal shutdowns – “the product of partisan standoffs” over government spending – since 1981, and these episodes have “become a recurring feature of US politics”, said Bloomberg.

Why do shutdowns happen?

The federal government budget is outlined over 12 appropriations bills, each covering a broad area, such as defence or agriculture. These are normally passed each year by Congress and then signed by the president. If all 12 bills aren’t adopted by October, the start of the US fiscal year, then short-term extensions of the existing funding arrangements are passed to minimise disruption. But if Congress refuses to agree to these extensions, that quickly leaves the government with a funding shortfall.

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This year, at the end of September, Congress failed to pass a stopgap for the new fiscal year, triggering the latest shutdown. The stand-off centres around Covid-era healthcare subsidies that are due to expire at the end of the year. Democratic lawmakers say millions will be left struggling to afford healthcare if they are not extended. Republicans have maintained that they will not discuss the subsidies until government is reopened.

What effect is it having?

Around 750,000 federal employees have been furloughed without pay, with almost as many continuing to work without receiving any money. Many are seeking temporary jobs, while others have been forced to resort to using food banks.

The shutdown is also affecting the 42 million Americans who receive benefits through Snap, a federal programme that provides food stamps to low-income families. Although the government said it will use an emergency fund to cover around half of the normal benefits, payments for November have already been delayed for millions. A programme that helps millions of low-income households with energy bills is “also taking a hit”, and centres for pre-school children have been cut off from federal funds, said Sky News.

Flight delays are also “piling up” due to shortages of federally employed air traffic controllers and security officers. More than 3.2 million passengers have had flights delayed or cancelled since the shutdown began, according to Airlines for America.

When will it end?

“Despite the punishing toll of federal closures on the country”, an imminent agreement remains unlikely, said The Associated Press. A string of Democrat victories in state elections on Tuesday – which Donald Trump blamed partly on the shutdown – has been seen by many Democrats as a “validation of their strategy” of holding out for a deal.

A “small bipartisan group of rank-and-file senators” are “in conversation” to try to end the shutdown, said ABC News, but a reopening of government is unlikely before the week of 17 November, say Democrat leaders in the House, according to Politico.