On Monday, October 13, 2025, the United States government shutdown entered its thirteenth day, with no end in sight and mounting consequences for federal workers, public services, and the broader American public. As the standoff between congressional Democrats and Republicans drags into a third week, leaders on both sides are digging in, trading blame, and preparing for what could become one of the longest government funding lapses in modern American history.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) did not mince words at a press conference, warning, "We’re barreling toward one of the longest shutdowns in American history, unless Democrats drop their partisan demands and pass a clean, no-strings-attached budget to reopen the government and pay our federal workers." According to Nexstar Media Inc., Johnson has kept the House in an extended recess, canceling weeks of previously scheduled votes in an effort to pressure Senate Democrats into accepting the House-passed, GOP-crafted stopgap bill. That measure, which would fund the government until November 21, has failed to clear the 60-vote threshold in the Senate seven times.
The roots of the impasse are familiar: Democrats are demanding that Republicans agree to extend expiring health insurance tax credits, a key provision of the Affordable Care Act, as part of any agreement to reopen the government. Republicans, for their part, insist that such policy debates should wait until after the government is funded, and are pushing for what they call a "clean" stopgap bill. As Speaker Johnson put it, "Republicans are eager to return to the actual negotiating table to finish out full-year appropriations and do work on all the other matters before us, but we won’t negotiate in smoke-filled back rooms, and we won’t negotiate as hostages."
Meanwhile, the effects of the shutdown are rippling across the country. According to USA Today, the Smithsonian’s 21 museums, research centers, and the National Zoo closed to the public on Sunday, October 12. The beloved panda cam has gone dark, though zoo officials stressed that animals will continue to be fed and cared for. The closure came after the Smithsonian exhausted prior-year funding that had kept its doors open through October 11.
Federal workers are feeling the brunt of the shutdown. The Trump administration announced on Friday, October 10, that layoffs were underway, with more than 4,000 reduction-in-force notices issued across seven agencies. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, a union representing workers vowed to fight what it called the "illegal firing" of over 1,300 employees. As reported by USA Today, a coding error led to 700 of those termination notices being rescinded within 24 hours, but about 600 CDC workers remain out of a job. Yolanda Jacobs, president of AFGE Local 2883, said, "The accounts of irreparable harm being done continue to unfold: Human resource workers brought back from furlough and forced to send themselves RIF notices with effective dates of December 8, 2025; CDC mental health professionals who have supported employees affected by the August 8, 2025, shooting attack on CDC’s Atlanta-based headquarters, now finding themselves facing termination. The administration has more than delivered on its promise to traumatize federal employees."
Other vital services are also being affected. The National Flood Insurance Program, which covers 4.7 million policyholders in 23,000 communities, has been crippled by the shutdown, potentially impacting nearly 1,400 real estate closings per day, according to the National Association of Realtors. The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced it would delay the release of the September Consumer Price Index report, a key data point used to calculate Social Security cost-of-living adjustments. That report is now scheduled for release on October 24.
The aviation sector has not been spared. On October 13, the Federal Aviation Administration implemented a ground stop at Austin Bergstrom International Airport, resulting in average flight delays of 40 minutes between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. Central Time. While weather was the primary cause of delays nationwide, the FAA cited staffing issues at Austin as directly linked to the shutdown. Despite these hiccups, the overall aviation system has maintained normal levels of timeliness and safety since the shutdown began on October 1.
Lawmakers themselves are feeling the pressure. The Senate is scheduled to return on Tuesday, October 14, for yet another attempt to pass the House-passed funding measure. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said, "Let’s hope there are 5 more Democrats who will join us, because despite all of the good work we’ve done, there’s a lot more we could do if the Schumer Shutdown ends." The bill has failed seven times so far, with three senators who caucus with Democrats joining Republicans in support, but still falling short of the 60 votes needed to advance.
On the Democratic side, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) called his caucus back to Washington for a meeting on October 14 to "discuss the path forward." In a letter to colleagues, Jeffries wrote, "That is why it is critically important for House Democrats to once again return to Washington to stand up for the healthcare of everyday Americans, pay our active duty troops, and support hardworking federal civil servants." Democratic leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, continue to insist that negotiations with congressional Republicans and the White House are the only way to resolve the impasse.
Amid the legislative gridlock, President Trump has taken executive action to mitigate some of the shutdown’s harshest effects. Over the weekend, Trump directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to "use all available funds to get our Troops PAID on October 15th." According to a Pentagon official cited by CBS News, about $8 billion in funds from the previous fiscal year were identified to cover the military’s mid-month paychecks. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that Coast Guard personnel would also receive paychecks this week, thanks to funds from the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act." Noem wrote, "President Trump did not want any of our military to go without pay as a result of Democrats' political theater, and we at DHS worked out an innovative solution to make sure that didn't happen." Still, other federal workers will not receive paychecks until the shutdown ends.
The political rhetoric has only intensified as the shutdown drags on. Speaker Johnson has repeatedly referred to the crisis as the "Schumer shutdown," blaming Senate Democrats for blocking paychecks to troops and federal workers. "Democrats today have no leader, no vision, no direction," Johnson declared, adding, "We can hardly believe that they're willing to go along with this." Vice President JD Vance accused Democrats of "hostage-taking" over the health care dispute, telling Face the Nation, "We don't negotiate with a person who has taken the entire federal government hostage over a health care policy dispute."
While lawmakers continue to receive their paychecks—protected by the Constitution—some, including Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), and Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.), have pledged not to accept compensation during the shutdown. The president’s salary is also protected by law, though Trump has previously donated his pay to various federal agencies.
For now, the standoff continues, with the shutdown’s effects growing more pronounced by the day. As Congress braces for another round of votes and negotiations, millions of Americans are left in limbo, waiting to see whether their leaders can break the deadlock and restore the basic functions of government.