Government shutdown becoming longest in US history as Democrats dig in on Obamacare
The 2025 government shutdown is hours away from breaking a record to be the longest-ever in history.The prior record was held by the 2018-2019 government shutdown during President Donald Trump's...
By Fox News · Fox News
The 2025 government shutdown is hours away from breaking a record to be the longest-ever in history. The prior record was held by the 2018-2019 government shutdown during President Donald Trump's first term. Trump signed legislation ending that shutdown in the 9 p.m. hour on the 35th day. Tuesday marks the 35th day of the current fiscal standoff. And with no deal reached yet between Democrats and Republicans in Congress, it's all but certain that the dispute will bleed into day 36. The previous shutdown occurred over a disagreement on funding Trump's border wall. But this time, it's Democrats' priorities being caught in the middle. SENATE RETURNS TO WORK AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN NEARS LONGEST IN US HISTORY OVER OBAMACARE FIGHT Republicans have for weeks pushed a short-term extension of fiscal year (FY) 2025 federal funding levels called a continuing resolution (CR), aimed at giving lawmakers until Nov. 21 to strike a deal on FY2026 spending. The measure is largely free of unrelated policy riders, save for an added $88 million aimed at enhanced security funding for lawmakers, the White House, and the Supreme Court. But Democrats have said they will reject any federal funding bill that does not also extend enhanced Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire at the end of 2025. The enhanced subsidies were a COVID-19 pandemic-era measure that a majority of Republicans have said is no longer needed. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., have said they are open to discussing a reformed version of those subsidies, but rejected pairing the two issues together. The House passed the CR on Sept. 19. Johnson has kept his chamber out of session since then in a bid to pressure Senate Democrats to agree to the GOP bill — though they have rejected it 13 times since then. Senate Republicans have looked for different markers throughout the shutdown as possible exit points for Senate Democrats, like the nationwide "No Kings" protests, federal…