The U.S. government is in its second‑longest shutdown ever, now lasting 22 days with no end coming. The crisis started on Oct. 1, when the House passed a bill to keep federal departments funded until Nov. 21, but Senate Democrats blocked the measure 11 times so far.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is pushing for a meeting with President Trump to talk about health‑care spending and to end the shutdown. “We asked the President to sit down and negotiate with us. We’re ready for a meeting any time,” Schumer told reporters Tuesday.
House Speaker Mike Johnson says no high‑level talks will happen until the Senate votes to reopen. He said, “The President is ready to meet with Jeffries and Schumer, but only after we reopen the government.” Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader John Thune stood by his plan to keep voting on a stop‑gap funding bill, even as Democrats refuse to sign it.
The White House views Democrats’ refusal to support a clean continuing resolution as an attempt to extort funds. Trump said, “We will not be extorted. Chuck Schumer and the Senate Democrats must vote for a bipartisan resolution and reopen the government now.”
A key sticking point is whether to extend enhanced pandemic health‑insurance subsidies for about 22 million people who bought policies through the Affordable Care Act exchanges. The White House notes that the benefits run until Dec. 31, giving time to negotiate once funding is restored.
Around 750,000 federal workers are furloughed, and many may miss their first full paycheck this Friday. Military personnel could also be delayed in payments on Oct. 31 if the shutdown continues.
The current shutdown follows the 35‑day shutdown of 2018‑2019, which remains the longest in U.S. history, and the 1995‑1996 shutdown that marked the first major budget impasse. The debate now centers on whether lawmakers will break the stalemate, bring the government back online, and get federal employees paid.
Source: New York Post
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