The 2025 U.S. federal government shutdown has lasted 38 days, setting a record for the longest in history. This political deadlock, which began on October 1, centers on the two parties’ disagreement over healthcare spending: Democrats aim to extend relevant healthcare subsidies and restore healthcare eligibility for some immigrants, while Republicans firmly oppose this and refuse to include these provisions in the temporary funding bill. Fourteen votes in the Senate have failed due to Democratic objections.

The shutdown has evolved from a political dispute into a nationwide crisis affecting people’s livelihoods: 1.4 million federal workers are either working without pay or forced to take unpaid leave; the aviation industry is plagued by frequent flight delays in many areas due to a shortage of air traffic controllers; federal food assistance payments have been suspended, impacting tens of millions of low-income people, and 4 million Americans may lose their healthcare coverage. Economically, the country suffers a weekly loss of approximately $15 billion, the economic growth rate in the fourth quarter may drop by 1 to 2 percentage points, and public approval of Congress has plummeted to only 15%.

The main underlying causes are partisan rivalry and systemic issues: both parties are using the shutdown as a political tool—Republicans seek to downsize the government through this impasse, while Democrats strive for support in future elections; the congressional budget approval process is cumbersome, with the two parties checking each other, leaving increasingly little room for compromise.

Currently, the deadlock remains unbroken, and Trump has stated he has no intention of negotiating. As the Thanksgiving travel peak approaches in late November, problems such as massive flight cancellations and a widening gap in people’s livelihood security are likely to occur. This shutdown has also highlighted the U.S. political system’s detachment from public needs and its lack of governance capacity.