Widespread damage across society as shutdowns become U.S. feature

As America's government shutdown stretches into its 42nd day, the longest in U.S. history, millions are feeling the pain. Though signs point to a potential end later this week following a bipartisan compromise in the Senate on Sunday, the prolonged stalemate has already disrupted millions of lives, stalled air travel, and damaged the country's global reputation.

As the shutdown drags on, at least 670,000 federal employees have been furloughed and another 730,000 are working without pay. Millions of Americans are going without food assistance, and the nation's air traffic system is straining under the pressure.

Federal workers face financial strain

For Thea Price and her husband, the shutdown has been devastating. Both lost their jobs in a mass layoff initiated by the Trump administration, and since March, they've relied on savings and sporadic aid to survive. When the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – a cornerstone of America's social safety net – was suspended for the first time in its 60-year history, their situation worsened dramatically.

Thea turned to a local food bank for help. At 37, she said it was the first time in her adult life she had to depend on public aid.

"We tried to hold on as long as we could – we used up our savings, turned to family, even maxed out our credit cards just to keep going," she said. Now she's considering leaving the city altogether.

"In my twenties, I thought I'd built a stable life and started a family on that foundation. Now it's all fallen apart. I honestly don't know what to say anymore.”

Threat to food assistance

Even as more Americans depend on food aid, the Trump administration has ordered states to reduce SNAP payments to low-income households. A memo from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which oversees the program, directed states to deliver only 65 percent of benefits after the Supreme Court allowed the administration to withhold some funding pending further hearings.

More than 42 million Americans, roughly one in eight, began receiving only partial benefits this month due to the shutdown.

SNAP provides monthly assistance to Americans earning less than 130 percent of the federal poverty line. On average, individuals receive about $190 per month, while households receive around $356. The program, which costs over $8 billion per month, had continued uninterrupted through every previous government shutdown.

Flights grounded and delayed

The shutdown has also crippled the aviation industry. About 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 airport security screeners are currently working without pay. As more employees take leave, the system faces an acute manpower shortage leading to widespread flight delays and increased safety concerns.

According to FlightAware, thousands of flights across U.S. airports were canceled or delayed on Monday, following nearly 3,000 disruptions the day before.

Trump lashed out on social media, threatening to dock the pay of air traffic controllers he accused of shirking their "patriotic duty." "All Air Traffic Controllers must get back to work, NOW!!!" he demanded on his Truth Social platform.

While the Senate has passed a bill to temporarily fund the government through January, Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), noted that after the 2019 shutdown, it took two and a half months for all controllers to receive back pay.

Health insurance standoff

At the heart of the current budget impasse lies a dispute over Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, which help more than 20 million Americans afford health insurance.

With Democrats and Republicans unable to agree on funding for the subsidies, insurers have announced sharp increases in annual premiums. Without federal support, each policyholder yearly healthcare costs could rise by around $1,000. 

Roughly 24 million Americans benefit from ACA subsidies. Enrollment for the 2026 coverage year began on November 1, but the compromise bill reached on Sunday omitted Democrats' key demand – an extension of enhanced ACA tax credits.

"Some people will see their premiums increase by 600 percent," said Bobby Kogan, senior director for Federal Budget Policy at American Progress. "For many, there's simply no choice. They won't be able to afford insurance anymore due to the high costs.”

A recurring political crisis

This shutdown began on October 1. It's not the first such standoff – since 1976, the U.S. government has shut down 21 times, most often over budget disputes. The previous record-holder was the 2018–2019 shutdown, which lasted 35 days amid a fight over funding for a U.S.–Mexico border wall.

As partisan divisions deepen, shutdowns have become a recurring feature of American politics, broader in scope and more damaging each time. Analysts say both parties are using the crisis to score political points rather than to resolve it.

According to The Washington Post, the Trump administration aimed to use the shutdown to shrink the federal workforce, particularly in agencies he claimed were "dominated by Democrats," thereby achieving a smaller government while expanding executive power.

Meanwhile, NBC News reported that Democrats' hardline stance was designed to strengthen party unity and keep healthcare and welfare at the center of their 2026 midterm campaign.

As CNN put it, "millions of Americans have become pawns in the worst shutdown on record." Regardless of who bears responsibility, it said, millions of ordinary Americans are suffering real pain, and they can no longer afford to wait.