US Government Shutdown Enters Second Week Amid Deep Political Standoff
The US government shutdown has entered its second week, with no agreement in sight between President Donald Trump’s Republican administration and congressional Democrats. The deadlock continues to cripple federal operations and threatens to withhold pay from hundreds of thousands of public workers.
Stalemate Over Health Care Funding
At the heart of the dispute is the renewal of subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare. Democrats have refused to support a temporary funding bill unless Republicans agree to extend the health care subsidies that millions of Americans rely on.
The federal government has been without funding since Wednesday, and a Senate vote on a House-passed stopgap bill is expected to fail again — for the fifth time. The standoff has become one of the most contentious political battles of Trump’s second term.
Escalating Tensions in Washington
President Trump has taken an increasingly aggressive approach, threatening to fire government employees instead of merely furloughing them, breaking from past shutdown practices. This comes as critical departments including Education, Housing, Labor, and the Environmental Protection Agency face the most severe disruptions.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has urged Republicans to hold firm, dismissing Democratic concerns as political posturing. Meanwhile, Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries accused the GOP of prioritizing politics over people’s health care, saying, “House Republicans think protecting the health care of everyday Americans is less important than their vacation.”
Republicans maintain that the expiring subsidies are unrelated to government funding and can be addressed later in the year. However, Democrats argue that failing to renew them could leave up to four million Americans without health coverage and double premiums for millions more.
Economic and Political Fallout
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated that Trump’s recently passed “One Big Beautiful Act” could eliminate health coverage for 11 million Americans, largely through Medicaid cuts affecting low-income families. This has deepened partisan divisions and intensified public frustration.
A CBS News poll released Sunday shows that a narrow majority of Americans blame Republicans for the ongoing gridlock. With Congress in recess and no formal negotiations underway, the shutdown’s effects are beginning to ripple across the economy.
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Federal Agencies Feeling the Strain
Agencies such as the EPA and Education Department have placed thousands of workers on unpaid leave, while essential services in the Justice, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs departments continue to operate with minimal staff. Military personnel could miss their first paycheck by October 15, heightening concern among families and defense officials.
Before the shutdown, Trump’s administration had already eliminated 200,000 federal jobs under a restructuring plan led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, part of an effort to streamline government operations.
With the shutdown now stretching into its second week, analysts warn that prolonged inaction could deepen public discontent and slow the economy, especially if federal salaries and services remain frozen.
