The United States faces the prospect of its longest government shutdown in history as tensions between Democrats and Republicans continue to escalate. President Donald Trump has refused to compromise, declaring that he “will not give in to blackmail,” reports Baltimore Chronicle citing Associated Press.
Trump accused Democrats of obstructing negotiations on restoring government funding. According to him, they insist on continuing subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, which he considers a form of political pressure. The president emphasized that he would only resume talks once the government is back to full operation.
The U.S. leader argued that Democrats have “lost their way” and predicted that they would eventually have to accept the Republican position. “I think they have to do it. And if they don’t vote, that’s their problem,” Trump said.
In the Senate, Democrats have voted 13 times against measures that would reopen the government, insisting on a broader political agreement before any vote takes place.
As Associated Press notes, with negotiations stalled and the shutdown entering its 34th day, the current situation is on track to become the longest in U.S. history. The previous record was set in 2019, when Trump demanded that Congress allocate funds to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The shutdown began on October 1, after the Senate failed to pass a new federal budget before the start of the fiscal year. In the United States, the fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30. To prevent a shutdown, Congress must approve either a short-term spending bill known as a continuing resolution or 12 separate appropriations bills for the entire year.
Political disputes between the two parties prevented the timely passage of these measures. Democrats sought to use the deadline to push for expanded healthcare and Medicaid funding, while Republicans urged approval of the budget without amendments.
The shutdown has affected hundreds of thousands of federal employees. Approximately 750,000 workers were placed on unpaid leave, while others — including military personnel and border agents — continue to work without pay. This is the first government shutdown since 2019 and the third to occur during Donald Trump’s presidency.
Earlier we wrote that Trump urges Republicans to end filibuster to resolve U.S. government shutdown.
