After marking the longest government shutdown in history at 35 days, the U.S. entered the sixth week since President Donald Trump and Congress failed to decide to fund the government by the Sept. 30 deadline.
There have been lengthy shutdowns in the past, with the second longest occurring in Trump’s first term, lasting 34 days.
Previous administrations have also faced similar stalemates. Former President Bill Clinton saw a 21-day shutdown in 1995 over budget cuts, Barack Obama faced a 16-day impasse in 2013 over the Affordable Care Act, and Jimmy Carter dealt with multiple shutdowns in the late 1970s tied to disputes over abortion funding.
With Republicans and Democrats still at an impasse, there’s no clear end in sight for the shutdown. Its effects are being felt nationwide.
The shutdown has reached beyond federal employees, disrupting key programs millions of Americans depend on.
According to The White House, about 18,000 federal employees in Iowa —roughly 1.2 percent of the state’s workforce —have been furloughed or are working without pay.
As the stalemate drags on, people are struggling to make ends meet, especially those living paycheck to paycheck. Others, considered essential workers, are still required to report to their jobs despite not receiving pay, such as air traffic controllers, military, and other critical staff.
According to The White House, Iowa is losing about $137 million each week of the shutdown in economic output, and around 500 more people are now unemployed. Federal contracts have dropped by about $96 million, and about $16 million in small-business loans are delayed. Lost wages are expected to cut consumer spending by roughly $177 million each month.
Disagreements over government spending have made compromise nearly impossible. Democrats have pushed to continue funding programs like health care subsidies, while Republicans argue those costs should be reduced and managed differently.
Tim Hagle, associate professor of political science at the University of Iowa, said the shutdown stems from long-standing partisan divides about how the government should be funded.
“One of the things that, generally, Republicans like to do is to spend less money,” he said. “Democrats usually have a lot of programs that they want to fund.”
Hagle said the standoff reflects broader political tensions.
“Unfortunately, we seem to be in a time where the partisanship is pretty intense in terms of the two parties not being able to get along,” he said. “Democrats really don’t want to give Trump a win, and so they’re fighting harder than they might ordinarily do.”
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CBS reported in an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, Trump said Democrats should agree to automatically extend government funding before any deal is made. He also referred to Democrats as “radicalized lunatics” in a preview of the interview airing Thursday night.
One of the most immediate concerns has been the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which nearly ran out of funds on Nov. 3. A federal court ruling temporarily allowed the government to use emergency money to keep some benefits flowing, but not at full capacity.
The USDA has roughly $5 billion in contingency funds available for funding lapses, but did not have enough for the full $8 billion in benefits required to fully fund SNAP for November, as reported by The Daily Iowan.
The situation highlights how deeply the shutdown can affect everyday life, as many families rely on assistance to afford groceries and other basic needs.
Despite the broad impacts, Hagle said the government is not entirely at a standstill. This has kept vital operations running, but the overall pace of government activity has slowed significantly. Many offices remain closed or understaffed, creating ripple effects extending into communities nationwide.
CBS reported Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, Administrator Bryan Bedford announced if the shutdown persists, the federal government will reduce flights by 10 percent at 40 key airports starting Friday, Nov. 7.
The measure aims to ease the burden on air traffic controllers who are working without pay. Airlines are making adjustments in response to discussions with the FAA and the Department of Transportation.
Carriers anticipate cutting flights by roughly 4 percent on Friday, 5 percent on Saturday, and reaching the full 10 percent reduction by next week, though these numbers could change once the FAA issues its final instructions.