As of November 3rd, the American government was on its 34th day of a federal shutdown and on track to become the longest shutdown in US history. With no indication of ending soon, this shutdown will only continue to pose a threat to millions of Americans.

A government shutdown occurs when Congress does not approve the federal budget for the upcoming year, usually due to disagreements.  When this happens, non-essential federal agencies, such as the Department of Education and the Federal Food and Drug Administration stop operating, since they get their funds from the discretionary budget. This prevents these agencies from providing services and limits their ability to pay their employees. 

Effects of this shutdown are already being seen across the nation. Millions of Americans could lose access to food aid benefits, and health care subsidies are close to expiring. 

One of the most harmful effects of the shutdown is the expiring budget for the Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as Obamacare, which helps provide affordable health care for many American citizens. As the shutdown continues, tax credits, making the ACA more affordable, are getting closer to expiring. Once these subsidies expire, many Americans in need won’t be able to afford healthcare.

The Republican party wants to stop Obamacare and instead try to develop a new solution to the healthcare crisis. However, the Democrats believe there is an urgent need to reinstate the tax credits. This major difference in opinions is only prolonging the shutdown.

Prior to the current shutdown, there have been 4 major shutdowns in US History, two of which were during Clinton’s presidency, one that was during Obama’s presidency, and the fourth  that was during President Trump’s first term in 2019. The longest of these, lasting 35 days, was the 2018-2019 shutdown under President Trump. 

This government shutdown doesn’t seem to be ending anytime soon and will only continue to have harmful effects on the country as a whole until both political parties agree to make compromises and work with one another.