The government shutdown has entered it's third week
The federal government shutdown reached its 20th day on Monday, October 20, 2025, approaching the length of the second-longest shutdown in U.S. history, with no clear path to resolution as Democrats and Republicans remain deadlocked over healthcare policy.
If the impasse continues for one more day, it will tie the 1995-1996 shutdown under President Bill Clinton as the second-longest in U.S. history. The longest shutdown, lasting 35 days, occurred during President Donald Trump’s first term from late 2018 into 2019.
Healthcare Subsidies at Center of Dispute
Senate Democrats have refused to vote for a short-term funding measure that would reopen the government, demanding that Republicans reverse cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enacted in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed this summer. The Congressional Budget Office estimates these cuts will result in 10 million people losing their health insurance coverage.
Democrats are specifically pushing for an extension of enhanced premium tax credits that help Americans pay for health insurance through ACA marketplaces. These subsidies, first enacted in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic and extended in 2022, are set to expire at the end of 2025. According to KFF, a nonprofit health research organization, if the subsidies expire, premiums for subsidized enrollees could more than double in 2026.
“We should be able to wrap this up this week, if they will sit down and have a negotiation with us,” Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, told reporters.
Republicans have maintained that healthcare negotiations should occur after the government reopens, proposing a short-term funding bill through November 21 that would keep most program spending at 2025 levels. The Senate is scheduled to vote for the 11th time on Monday evening on the Republican-backed funding measure, which Democrats have blocked in all 10 previous attempts.
Trump Administration Pressures Democrats
White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett indicated that the administration will pursue “stronger measures to bring them to the table” if Republicans cannot convince enough Democratic senators to support ending the shutdown this week. Four Democratic senators (John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, and independent Angus King of Maine, who caucuses with Democrats) have voted for the Republican bill.
The Trump administration has escalated pressure on Democrats by pausing federal infrastructure projects in Democratic-led cities and laying off thousands of federal workers. A federal judge in California temporarily halted the mass layoffs, but approximately 750,000 federal workers remain on furlough. Trump has threatened that some furloughed workers might not receive back pay when they return to work.
‘No Kings’ Protests Draw Millions
The shutdown coincided with massive nationwide protests on Saturday, October 18, when organizers estimated nearly 7 million people participated in approximately 2,700 “No Kings” rallies across all 50 states. The demonstrations, which followed similar protests in June 2025, were organized by more than 200 groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, American Federation of Teachers, Human Rights Campaign, and MoveOn.
Protesters gathered to voice opposition to various Trump administration policies, including immigration enforcement, federal education funding cuts, and the deployment of National Guard troops to Democratic-led cities. The rallies, which organizers emphasized would remain peaceful, were marked by demonstrators wearing yellow to symbolize solidarity and carrying signs reading “No Kings, No Tyrants”.
Republican leaders, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, criticized the protests and accused Democrats of using them as a political tactic to prolong the shutdown.
“They called it No Kings rally,” Johnson said at a Monday press conference. “With great irony, of course, as we pointed out over and over, was if President Trump was a king, the government would be open”.
Democratic leaders rejected these characterizations, with several prominent figures, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sens. Bernie Sanders and Chris Murphy, attending the demonstrations.
Asia Trip Complicates Timeline
The shutdown’s resolution is further complicated by Trump’s scheduled departure on October 26 for a multi-country trip through Asia that could last five or six days. The president is expected to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on October 26-28, where he will witness a peace agreement between Thailand and Cambodia. He will then travel to Japan before attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea beginning October 31.
House Speaker Mike Johnson is scheduled to meet with Trump at the White House on Monday to discuss the shutdown, ahead of a lunch the president will host with GOP senators on Tuesday.
If a deal is not reached before the weekend, the shutdown risks extending significantly longer while Trump is overseas.
Impact on Federal Services
Social Security payments and benefits continue during the shutdown because they are considered mandatory spending by law. However, Social Security offices have limited services available.
Mail delivery continues uninterrupted as the U.S. Postal Service is funded through the sale of products and services rather than tax dollars. Transportation Security Administration officers and Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controllers, classified as essential employees, continue working without receiving paychecks. While overall flight delays remain relatively low, staffing shortages at some air traffic control facilities have caused isolated issues, including delays into Burbank, California, earlier this month.
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