A potential record-breaking government shutdown looms, with no end in sight.
Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, has warned that the ongoing federal government shutdown could become the longest in American history. He has taken a firm stance, stating that he will not engage in negotiations with the Democrats until they back down from their health care demands and agree to reopen the government.
On the 13th day of the shutdown, Speaker Johnson stood alone at the Capitol, unaware of the details surrounding the mass layoffs of federal workers by the Trump administration. This unusual move is widely seen as an attempt to use the shutdown as an opportunity to reduce the size of the government. Vice President JD Vance has warned of further "painful" cuts, even as employee unions challenge these actions in court.
"We're heading towards one of the longest shutdowns our country has ever faced," Johnson emphasized.
The shutdown has brought routine government operations to a halt, closed iconic cultural institutions like the Smithsonian museums, and caused disruptions at airports, adding further uncertainty to an already fragile economy. With no resolution in sight, the shutdown is expected to continue indefinitely.
The House is currently not in session, and Speaker Johnson refuses to recall lawmakers to Washington. Meanwhile, the Senate, closed on Monday for a federal holiday, will reconvene on Tuesday, but senators find themselves in a stalemate, with Democrats refusing to budge on their health care demands.
Speaker Johnson expressed gratitude to President Donald Trump for ensuring that military personnel receive their pay this week, which removed a significant pressure point that might have pushed the parties towards negotiations.
At its heart, the shutdown revolves around a debate over health care policy, specifically the Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire for millions of Americans who rely on government assistance to purchase their own health insurance policies through the Obamacare exchanges. Democrats insist on extending these subsidies, while Republicans argue that the issue can be addressed later.
With Congress and the White House at an impasse, some are eyeing the end of the month as the next potential deadline to reopen the government. This is when open enrollment begins for the health program in question, and Americans will face the prospect of skyrocketing insurance premiums. If Congress fails to renew the subsidy payments that expire on December 31, the Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that monthly costs could double.
It's also the time when government workers on monthly pay schedules, including thousands of House aides, will miss their paychecks.
The health care debate has plagued Congress since the Affordable Care Act became law under President Barack Obama in 2010. The country experienced a 16-day government shutdown during the Obama presidency when Republicans attempted to repeal the Affordable Care Act in 2013.
Trump also tried to "repeal and replace" the law, commonly known as Obamacare, during his first term in 2017, when Republicans held a majority in both the House and Senate. That effort failed when then-Senator John McCain cast a memorable thumbs-down vote on the plan.
With a record 24 million people now enrolled in Obamacare, Speaker Johnson acknowledged on Monday that Republicans are unlikely to pursue that path again, citing the lingering "PTSD" from that failed attempt.
"Can we completely repeal and replace Obamacare? Many of us are now skeptical about that, given how deeply rooted it has become," Johnson said.
The Republican speaker maintains that his party has been open to discussing the health care issue with Democrats this fall, before the subsidies expire at the end of the year. However, he insists that Democrats must first agree to reopen the government.
The longest shutdown during Trump's first term, which lasted 35 days in 2019, occurred over his demands for funding to build the U.S.-Mexico border wall.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is exercising broad discretion to fire workers, facing criticism from fellow Republicans and legal challenges from employee unions, as well as determining who receives payment. This means that not only military troops but also other Trump administration priorities may continue to receive pay, thanks to various funding sources and the billions made available through the Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, now a law.
The Pentagon announced over the weekend that it had accessed $8 billion in unused research and development funds to pay military personnel, who had faced the risk of missed paychecks on Wednesday. However, the Education Department is among the hardest-hit agencies, disrupting special education, after-school programs, and other services.
According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), "The Administration also could decide to use mandatory funding provided in the 2025 reconciliation act or other sources of mandatory funding to continue activities financed by those direct appropriations at various agencies."
The CBO identified the Department of Defense, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Office of Management and Budget as recipients of specific funds under the law.
"Some of the funds in DoD's direct appropriation under the 2025 reconciliation act could be used to pay active-duty personnel during a shutdown, thus reducing the number of excepted workers who would receive delayed compensation," the CBO stated in a letter responding to inquiries from Senator Joni Ernst, R-Iowa.
And here's where it gets controversial: With the Trump administration's broad powers to determine who gets paid, some might argue that certain priorities are being favored over others. What do you think? Should the administration have the authority to decide who receives payment during a shutdown? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
