The U.S. Government Shutdown They Can’t Afford

Update (November 13): The United States federal government shutdown has officially ended after a record-setting 42 days and 22 hours. President Donald Trump signed the funding bill November 12, sending federal agencies back to work and restoring pay for furloughed employees. However, bills for funding for extending the Affordable Care Act which will expire at the end of the year did not get passed. SNAP funding is due to resume.

Update (November 5): Since this article was first written, the federal government shutdown has officially acquired the title of the longest-ever closure of the US federal government. Today marks the 36th day of the shutdown and President Donald Trump continues to suggest that the US will not pay SNAP benefits during the shutdown. 

As of this writing, the U.S. federal government remains in shutdown, with political negotiations ongoing and no confirmed reopening. New updates continue to emerge daily.

The United States of America’s federal government has entered yet another crisis—a shutdown that continues to drag on with no end in sight. Political tensions are intensifying in Washington, and at the center of the debate are spending disputes and President Donald Trump’s push to reduce funding for programs such as Medicaid (colloquially, Obamacare). Despite multiple negotiations, the government remains at a stalemate, and the shutdown stopwatch continues ticking—literally—while its effects are being felt, not just in the U.S. but globally as well. Government shutdowns are important as they are more than just a disagreement, they are a sign of significant political conflict and an uncooperative Congress, directly threatening the United States’ stability and functionality of its public services. The longer the shutdown continues, the more severe its impact becomes on citizens, the economy, and international relations. 

A U.S. federal government shutdown occurs when Congress fails to pass a funding bill and disagrees on enacting legislation to fund government operations. Since federal agencies cannot legally operate without approved spending, many public operations freeze (unless they are classified as “essential”). During a shutdown, hundreds of thousands of non-essential federal employees are furloughed, and hundreds of thousands “essential” employees are required to work without pay. In total, around 1.4 million federal employees are going without compensation during this shutdown. Agencies deemed non-essential, such as national parks, federal museums, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or “food stamps”—which are due to expire on November 1—are shut down. Essential services, such as air traffic control, border protection, and law enforcement continue to operate, but workers typically remain unpaid until the shutdown ends (although  members of Congress are still getting paid). 

Government shutdowns were once uncommon, so while funding gaps occurred occasionally before the 1980s, they rarely resulted in wide-scale shutdowns of the government. The first major U.S. government shutdown occurred in November 1981, under President Ronald Reagan. This shutdown stemmed from disagreements over spending cuts, and lasted 2 days. In total, under Reagan’s administration, there were 8 government shutdowns, all lasting under 4 days. Some other notable U.S. shutdowns include: December 1995, a 21-day shutdown during President Bill Clinton’s administration, occurred due to disputes about balancing Medicare and the budget; September 2013, a 16-day shutdown under President Barack Obama, centered around the opposition of the Affordable Care Act; December 2018, a 35-day shutdown, which is the longest shutdown in U.S. history, under President Donald Trump, which was triggered by disagreements about spending for the U.S.-Mexican border. Nevertheless, shutdowns have become increasingly frequent in recent years, reflecting “performative” or ideological standoffs rather than absolute necessity, and tend to occur under a divided government. 

While the shutdown is an internal issue, Canada , being The United States’  largest trading partner and sharing borders, was particularly affected . Our cross-border trade and tourism remain unstable as disruptions to U.S. customs operations could delay the movement of goods at border crossings. The borders are not closed to travelers. In the long term, if it continues, this shutdown will be costly. 

In the U.S., public concern rises to high levels, and increasing blame is directed toward the GOP and President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, citizens face uncertainty with unpaid federal workers, delayed pay, suspended programs, and halted public services. For example, the suspension of SNAP threatens low-income families, as over 42 million Americans rely on this program to get necessary nutrition. Communities around the U.S. are already feeling the impact, and are stepping in with services such as food aid, although  many worry that this will not be sustainable. Internationally, this shutdown has sparked concern about the instability in a government where bad blood is so evident. Economists warn that if the shutdown continues past (American) Thanksgiving, it’ll surpass the record and the situation will turn out of control, with damage taking  far longer to repair.

The current U.S. government shutdown reminds countries around the world of the importance of constitutional balance and stability. The struggle to balance governmental agendas with the public need highlights a  deeper issue within American democracy. As negotiations drag on, millions of citizens wait anxiously for action. Whether the U.S. can break its cycle of shutdowns and undemocratic politics remains to be seen, but the clock continues to tick down in Washington.