The United States is now enduring its second-longest government shutdown in modern history, with the impasse entering its 23rd day on Thursday, October 23, 2025. The standoff, which began on October 1, has left more than 750,000 federal workers furloughed without pay, threatened crucial food assistance programs, and sent health insurance premiums soaring for millions of Americans. The crisis, rooted in a deadlock over the future of Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits, has become a flashpoint for partisan rancor and personal hardship across the country.
At the heart of the shutdown is a bitter dispute over whether to extend enhanced Obamacare subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of this year. Democrats have insisted that any funding deal must include a renewal of these tax credits—lifelines for millions who rely on the ACA Marketplace for coverage. Republicans, meanwhile, have refused to include the extension in the current package, proposing instead a continuing resolution to keep federal funding steady until November 21. That measure, passed by the House largely along party lines on September 19, has failed repeatedly in the Senate, most recently after a 12th unsuccessful vote on October 22.
The shutdown’s effects are being felt far beyond the halls of Congress. According to chu.house.gov, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) has been a vocal critic of the Republican-led shutdown, warning that “the consequences of this Republican-made health care crisis are growing more severe with each passing day.” She described meeting with constituents like Carolyn, a self-employed cancer survivor from Claremont, who faces the prospect of her health insurance premiums more than doubling—from $350 to over $800 a month. Another constituent, Jenny from Altadena, a single mother and small-business owner, shared her anguish over losing her home in the Eaton Fire and now facing unaffordable insurance costs.
“Every day, thousands of people in my district are opening their mail, seeing their premiums double, and wondering if they’ll still be able to afford to see their doctor,” Rep. Chu said. She also recounted the story of Mr. Lau, a patient advocate who survived lung cancer thanks to expanded Medicaid coverage. “He only survived because he could see a doctor, get screened, and begin treatment early—care that was covered thanks to expanded Medicaid. Without it, he likely would have waited until it was too late.”
The stakes are enormous. As chu.house.gov reports, 24 million Americans are experiencing premium hikes, with costs in some cases more than tripling. Small business owners and the self-employed—who make up about half of all adults on the ACA Marketplace—are particularly vulnerable. The pain is compounded by a recently passed law, championed by President Trump and congressional Republicans, that removes 15 million Americans from their insurance, slashes Medicaid, and weakens the ACA to fund what critics call “massive tax cuts for billionaires.”
The political blame game has grown increasingly heated. In an interview with Fox News’ Chad Pergram, House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) acknowledged the shutdown is “one of the few leverage times we have” to force negotiations on healthcare. “It is an inflection point in this budget process where we have tried to get the Republicans to meet with us and prioritize the American people, and it’s been an absolute refusal,” Clark said. She stressed the real-world impact on families, especially military households and federal workers who are going without pay: “There are repercussions to a shutdown that are terrible for people. I feel for military families that even if they get paid, there are lots of spouses that also work that are feeling these cuts.”
Republicans have seized on Clark’s remarks, accusing Democrats of using American families as “hostages” to advance their agenda. “It’s appalling to see the number two House Democrat openly admit that the left is weaponizing hardworking Americans as ‘leverage’ for political gain, even acknowledging families will suffer in the process,” said Republican Study Committee Chair August Pfluger (R-Texas) to Fox News Digital. House GOP Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) echoed the charge, stating, “Democrats are holding American families hostage to advance their political agenda, and they’re admitting it.”
The Senate has been a stage for marathon speeches and high drama as lawmakers scramble for a solution. On October 22, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) delivered a 22-hour, 37-minute speech lambasting President Trump’s planned Asia trip while federal workers missed paychecks. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), who holds the record for the longest filibuster at 25 hours, praised Merkley’s stamina and called Trump “the most corrupt president, dollar to dollar.” The next day, the Senate prepared to vote on the Shutdown Fairness Act, a GOP-backed bill that would pay “excepted” federal employees—those deemed essential—who are still working despite the shutdown. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has pushed for this measure as a stopgap to ease the pain for workers and military members, but broader funding bills have repeatedly failed to clear the 60-vote threshold.
Outside the Capitol, frustration is mounting. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) blasted the Trump administration’s spending priorities, pointing to the $172 million purchase of jets for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and the planned $250 million renovation of the White House ballroom. “There is enough money to bail out Argentina with $20 billion. There is enough money to purchase a brand new aircraft for $173 million for the Homeland Security Secretary. There is enough money to renovate the White House ballroom,” Schatz told reporters. “What there is not enough money for under this Republican government is you. There is not enough money for you.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) accused Republicans of refusing to negotiate while “millions face healthcare premium increases.” He told reporters, “What’s galling is saying there’s nothing to negotiate when people from Maine to Alaska and every state in between are watching their premiums double.”
Meanwhile, President Trump has remained defiant, telling Senate Republicans, “We will not be extorted on this crazy plot of theirs,” during a White House lunch earlier this week. The president has also directed the Pentagon to pay active-duty military on October 15, but another paycheck is due October 31, and many federal workers are bracing for missed wages as soon as Friday, October 24.
As the shutdown drags on, the finger-pointing continues, but the impact on ordinary Americans is undeniable. Community health centers and hospitals are struggling to stay open, food assistance programs are at risk, and families—especially those already facing hardship—are left wondering how much longer they can hold on. The only clear path out, as Sen. Schatz put it, is for the House of Representatives to “report for duty” and for both sides to come to the negotiating table. Until then, the nation waits, watches, and worries.
