Government Shutdown Crisis Deepens Across America

The US government shutdown is inching closer to 40 days, breaking all previous records and deepening a crisis that shows no signs of ending soon. A lot of U.S. government offices have shut down for now, which means about 1.4 million federal workers are either not getting paid or are working without their usual salaries.

The US government shut down on October 1 after Congress failed to agree on funding to keep federal offices open. Republicans control both the House and the Senate, but they don’t have the 60 votes needed in the Senate to pass the budget, giving Democrats some bargaining power. Democrats are pushing for extensions of tax credits that make health insurance more affordable and want to undo cuts to Medicaid, which provides healthcare for millions of Americans. They also oppose reducing funding for government health agencies.

A temporary funding plan passed in the House but stalled in the Senate. With no agreement reached, the government had no choice but to shut down, the first time in almost seven years. The shutdown will only end if lawmakers in the Senate reach an agreement that the president will sign. But several efforts to push through a funding deal have already failed.

Around 750,000 federal workers in the US have been told to stay home without pay, while nearly the same number are still working but not receiving their salaries. With no money coming in, many are taking up temporary jobs or turning to food banks just to manage daily expenses.

The US aviation industry is among the most affected as widespread flight cancellations throw travel plans into chaos. With the government cutting back schedules due to a shortage of air traffic controllers, thousands of passengers are being left stranded at airports. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that flight operations will be scaled back by as much as 10% across 40 of the country’s busiest airports.

The cancellations are likely to affect between 3,500 and 4,000 flights per day and are expected to hit some of the busiest hubs in the country, including airports in Atlanta, New York, and Washington DC. Meanwhile, unions have warned that many staff are falling sick from stress, with some even taking up second jobs to make ends meet.