On November 6, 2025, the United States marked an unwelcome milestone: the government shutdown entered its 37th day, officially becoming the longest federal closure in American history. The impact has rippled across the nation, affecting millions of Americans, stoking partisan tensions in Washington, and upending the political landscape in the wake of recent elections. As the shutdown grinds on, the country finds itself caught between deepening partisan divides, urgent policy disputes, and the everyday realities of life without a functioning federal government.
The shutdown’s immediate consequences have been severe. According to NBC News, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced it would reduce air traffic capacity by 10% at 40 high-traffic locations beginning November 7, citing acute staffing shortages. Travelers are bracing for widespread delays and cancellations, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune warning of “immense” impacts on travel and supply chains if the government does not reopen soon. “That means widespread flight cancellations, supply chain issues, hundreds of thousands of passengers dealing with disruption to travel every day,” Thune said on the Senate floor.
But the pain extends far beyond airports. Millions of Americans who rely on federal programs are feeling the strain. Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps. On November 6, U.S. District Judge John McConnell ordered the Trump administration to fully fund November SNAP benefits by the next day, describing the lapse in payments as a “problem that could have and should have been avoided.” Since October 29, disruptions to SNAP have left recipients, like 41-year-old Gia Haley, struggling to feed themselves and their families. “The black coffee kind of kills my appetite,” Haley told NBC News, highlighting the desperate measures some have resorted to as balances run dry.
Initial jobless claims among federal workers remain elevated, with more than 30,000 now receiving unemployment benefits due to the shutdown. Programs that help low-income households pay for heating and other essentials are also running dangerously low on funds. Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee warned that the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program could run out of money by week’s end if the impasse continues, calling it “a life-or-death issue.”
The political fallout from the shutdown has been swift and dramatic. President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters and in a video statement, acknowledged the shutdown’s role in the Republican Party’s poor showing in the November 5 elections. “The shutdown was a big factor, negative for the Republicans, that was a big factor,” Trump said, according to CBS News. Democrats, emboldened by their decisive gubernatorial wins in Virginia and New Jersey, are holding firm on their key demand: any deal to reopen government must include an extension of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, which are set to expire at year’s end.
Senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, summed up the mood among his colleagues: “It would be very strange for the American people to have weighed in, in support of Democrats standing up and fighting for them, and within days for us to surrender without having achieved any of the things that we’ve been fighting for.” Senator Bernie Sanders echoed this sentiment, insisting that Democrats “have got to remain strong” and should secure concrete assurances on extending health care subsidies, including commitments from both the House Speaker and the President.
Not all Democrats are united in their approach. Senator John Hickenlooper of Colorado noted, “I don’t feel that the elections changed where I was. I still feel I want to get out of the shutdown.” Meanwhile, some Republicans are growing anxious about the political cost of the standoff. Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri pointed to polls showing that “most voters blame Republicans more than Democrats,” a reality that’s hard to ignore as the shutdown drags on.
President Trump, for his part, has refused to negotiate with Democrats until they agree to reopen the government, and has pushed for the abolition of the Senate filibuster to speed passage of a funding bill—a move many GOP senators, including Thune, have rejected. “If we got rid of the filibuster, we would approve so many good things, common sense things, wonderful things, that it would be hard to beat us,” Trump told Fox News. Yet, as Thune made clear, he intends to keep the legislative filibuster intact during his leadership.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has also dug in, sending lawmakers home in September after passing a Republican funding bill and refusing further negotiations. Johnson dismissed the Democrats’ election victories, attributing them to “blue state” dynamics, and flatly refused to promise a vote on ACA subsidies, stating, “The House did its job on Sept. 19. I’m not promising anybody anything.”
The situation remains fluid in the Senate, where a bipartisan group of centrist lawmakers has been working behind closed doors to find a way out of the impasse. Senator Susan Collins of Maine told NBC News that “some progress” was being made, but cautioned that “Democrats are bringing their specific language forward for the first time, and it just feels better this week. Now, who knows? It could all fall apart again.”
Beyond the shutdown, the week brought other significant developments. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the nation’s first female Speaker of the House and a towering figure in Democratic politics, announced she would not seek re-election in 2026. “With a grateful heart, I look forward to my final year of service as your proud representative,” Pelosi said in a video message to San Francisco voters, as reported by NBC News. President Trump responded by calling her retirement “a great thing for America,” a remark that drew sharp reactions across the political spectrum.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration announced a deal with pharmaceutical giants Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly to lower the cost of their blockbuster GLP-1 weight loss drugs, Wegovy and Zepbound. Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks confirmed that, as part of the agreement, the company would receive fast-track FDA approval for its new oral weight loss drug. “As part of the deal, they’ve agreed to give us an expedited approval,” Ricks told NBC News, emphasizing that the trials are complete and published.
Internationally, President Trump revealed that Kazakhstan would become the first country in his second term to join the Abraham Accords, agreements aimed at normalizing relations between Israel and Arab nations. The move, announced during a meeting with Central Asian leaders, is largely symbolic—Kazakhstan has had diplomatic ties with Israel since 1992—but underscores the administration’s focus on foreign policy even amid domestic turmoil.
As the shutdown shows no signs of ending, the country faces mounting uncertainty. With millions affected, crucial programs in jeopardy, and political leaders at an impasse, the coming days may prove decisive in determining not just the fate of the government, but the direction of the nation itself.
