By The ongoing US government shutdown has officially become the longest in the nation’s history, entering its 35th day with no resolution in sight.
Millions of Americans are increasingly feeling the effects as key services remain disrupted and uncertainty grows over critical programs such as food assistance.
Congressional gridlock deepens
For the 14th time, the Senate on Tuesday failed to pass a short-term funding measure that would reopen the government.
The procedural vote on a House-passed continuing resolution to fund operations until November 21 fell short of the 60 votes needed to advance, ending at 54–44.
Despite growing public frustration, the voting pattern remained unchanged.
Democratic Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, along with independent Sen. Angus King of Maine, voted in favor of the measure, while Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky opposed it. Sens. Cory Booker (D–New Jersey) and Thom Tillis (R–North Carolina) did not vote.
The deadlock ensures that the current shutdown, now at 35 days, matches the record set during the 2018–2019 impasse.
Lawmakers have yet to reach a bipartisan deal despite renewed optimism from some Senate leaders.
“I’ll be honest with you, I don’t think any of us expected that it would drag on this long,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana. “We couldn’t have imagined it’s now tied with the longest shutdown in history.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, struck a cautiously hopeful tone, telling reporters that the chamber is “getting close to an off-ramp” and that a compromise could still emerge this week.
Negotiations over health subsidies offer a potential path
Amid the stalemate, a bipartisan group of House lawmakers has introduced a tentative framework that could serve as the basis for a compromise.
The proposed legislation would extend expiring health insurance subsidies for two years and implement anti-fraud measures.
The tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of the year, have been a central sticking point in negotiations between Democrats and Republicans.
However, it remains unclear whether the Senate would back the proposal even if it passes the House.
The impasse has led to mounting frustration across both parties, with growing recognition that the shutdown’s economic and social costs are compounding.
Federal workers remain furloughed or unpaid, and a range of public services, from small business loans to housing assistance, have been disrupted.
SNAP benefits become a flashpoint
Tensions escalated further on Tuesday when President Donald Trump announced that the administration would suspend all Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during the shutdown, directly contradicting a federal court order issued a day earlier.
In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote that benefits would resume only once Democrats agreed to pass a stopgap funding bill.
The statement conflicted with assurances from administration lawyers, who told a federal judge on Monday that the government would use $4.65 billion in contingency funds to cover half of November’s payments for 42 million Americans relying on SNAP.
Judge Jack McConnell of Rhode Island, who previously directed the administration to ensure payments were made “as soon as possible,” ordered the government to respond to plaintiffs’ emergency filings by Wednesday.
The administration’s refusal to use an additional $4 billion in contingency funds has drawn sharp criticism from advocates, who argue the move is unlawful and politically motivated.
As the shutdown enters its second month, the growing strain on federal programs and low-income households underscores the mounting urgency for a resolution.
Yet with political divisions still entrenched, the prospect of ending the longest government shutdown in US history remains uncertain.
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