The Longest Governmental Shutdown in History — What happened?
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The shutdown is now officially over and many are left wondering what the whole thing was even about?
On Wednesday, November 12th, President Trump signed a bill ending what has become the longest governmental shutdown in history. For forty-three days, federal workers were laid off or forced to work without pay. According to the White House, in California alone, almost 5.5 million SNAP recipients had their benefits impacted. The White House also estimates that California’s gross product, or the state's total economic output, declined by 2.1 billion dollars per week. Air traffic controllers, already in short supply, were dangerously impacted by the lack of pay, and as a result, the shutdown saw the delay or cancellation of flights for more than 5 million people nationwide (Airline for America).
Suffice it to say the effects of the government shutdown were felt throughout the entirety of the United States. So why then? What was the point of it all? The Affordable Care Act (ACA) had been passed under the Obama administration in 2010 and was then reinstated under President Biden in 2021 as a way to help combat the effects that COVID-19 had on the public. It made affordable healthcare widely available and granted subsidies for households in need. These health subsidies are set to cease at the end of 2025 and Democrats had wanted Republicans to renew these tax credits, which was refused.
Ultimately, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, along with fellow Democrats, decided that the Democratic key issue would be extending these subsidies, and that they would refuse to sign any government funding bill that neglected it. Since no funding bill could be passed without a 3/5th majority, Democrats believed they had the power to pressure the Republicans, who make up 53 seats of the Senate, into continuing these health care substitutes. They concluded that eventually, if they held out long enough, Republicans would be forced to compromise. This resulted in both parties holding strong against the other, defiant and in absolute opposition.
Days turned into weeks and then into a month and a half, and suddenly millions of people country-wide were suffering and in jeopardy of not receiving their benefits. Tensions arose between the political parties with many Republicans feeling that the Democrats were putting so many jobs at risk to prove a point. Senate Democrats felt pressure on their every decision which caused eight senators to alter their stance and vote in-favor of the bill. Just hours later, President Donald Trump signed the bill into effect, and the government shutdown ended with no real resolution for the Democrats. This has left many wondering what the point of the shutdown was. Why would the Senate Democrats put so much on the line all to cave at the last minute?
It seems these eight senators ultimately believed that Republicans would not compromise, no matter how long the shutdown would be prolonged, and wanted to end the adversity American citizens were being put through. Many are worried that Republicans will no longer take the Democrats push for health care seriously, a fact that has likely been corroborated by the speech given by President Trump when he signed the bill into action. “The Democrats tried to extort our country,” President Trump claimed and later stated that Democrats: “...were happy for millions of Americans to suffer.”
So what exactly is this bill? It continues funding the government until January 30th with an increase in security for high ranking officials across the three branches of government, and promises to undue the firings that occurred as a result of the shutdown. Interestingly, the bill also seems to give Senators the right to sue federal agencies (up to 500,000 dollars per breach) who search their electronic records without permission—an addition that seems to be seen as controversial from both sides. There is, of course, no mention about the ACA or any potential extension of the subsidies, however House Speaker Mike Johnson promised Democrats that the issue could be revisited in January, though he now states he cannot commit to this. Still, while it might seem like a loss to the Democrats (which it is), the shutdown has also forced healthcare to the forefront of the public's mind. If the ACA’s subsidies are not extended or addressed, premiums will be notably higher—a fact that Democrats are hoping might win them favor in the next elections.
Regardless of politics, the shutdown has come to an end and benefits are expected to return to people shortly. Federal workers who were furloughed or forced to work without pay will receive six-weeks worth of salaries soon. Flight disruptions are predicted to resolve themselves, but it will take time. It is also important to note that while the shutdown has ended the effects will still be felt and many people will continue to deal with the consequences for months to come. There is no immediate fix, but this may be the start to one.
Sources:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/government-shutdown-clock/
https://www.npr.org/2025/11/12/g-s1-97607/house-vote-shutdown-end
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/15/government-shutdown-air-traffic-controllers.html
https://www.npr.org/2025/11/15/nx-s1-5609367/trump-government-shutdown-what-to-know-longest
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/government-shutdown-ended-future-aca/story?id=127503888