Shutdown Update
At press time, the United States government has been shut down for 37 days: the longest shutdown in U.S. history. The previous record was 35 days, set in 2019.
The shutdown began on October 1 (see “TFK Explains: Government Shutdown”). During a shutdown, parts of the government close until a budget is approved by Congress. Lawmakers have been unable to agree on one.
Some government programs cannot get full funding during a shutdown. One is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides food benefits to more than 40 million Americans. It’s uncertain how that aid will be accessed as the shutdown continues.
Federal workers can be required to work during a shutdown, some without pay. Air-traffic controllers are among them. They are “under immense stress and fatigue,” the Federal Aviation Administration wrote on social media on October 31, noting that many are absent from work. This has led to travel delays.
TRAVEL WOES On October 30, the security area at an airport in Florida stands empty after shutdown-related delays.
MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO—GETTY IMAGES
Elections were held in several states on November 4. In New York City, people voted for a new mayor. In New Jersey and Virginia, voters chose a governor. These elections went on as normal, despite the shutdown.
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