DAY 30: Light at the end of the tunnel?
- Agora
- Oct 30
- 3 min read
AGORA SHUTDOWN UPDATE
October 30, 2025
Lawmakers are saying the vibe is shifting on Capitol Hill towards an end to the government shutdown. Rank-and-file Senators from both parties are reportedly talking about finding an “off-ramp” to the impasse, although leadership has yet to engage.
Of course, vibes alone won’t re-open the government, nor will they ensure that SNAP benefits keep flowing beyond tomorrow night. But the growing exhaustion over the closure, coupled with growing frustration from the voters, might finally be starting to move the needle on Capitol Hill.
CONGRESS
Bipartisan discussions are picking up momentum this week as lawmakers face building pressure to end the partial government shutdown ahead of critical deadlines for food stamps and health care, senators said Wednesday.
Bipartisan Senate negotiations around reopening the government have ramped up over the past 36 hours. Here’s what needs to be addressed as the shutdown enters what could be its home stretch.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune showed uncharacteristic fury on the Senate floor on Wednesday, scorching Democrats for refusing to reopen the government. "[W]e tried to do that 13 times! You voted 'no' 13 times," Thune (R-S.D.) said in response to Sen. Ben Ray Luján's (D-N.M.) request for a vote on SNAP benefits.
After arriving in Washington in mid-August, Olive Guillory quickly fell into a rhythm.
The Texas Tech junior, who is interning this fall in a House Democratic office, worked on the Hill during the day, answering phones and fielding constituent inquiries, and took virtual classes at night. Things changed on Oct. 1, when government funding lapsed and House internships were put on pause.
FEDERAL AGENCIES
Passport services employees at the State Department are showing up to work without pay during the second-longest government shutdown — an unusual step, considering this part of the agency is fee-funded and can normally pay staff on time during a lapse in congressional funding.
FEDERAL WORKFORCE
As most federal employees brace for a fifth-straight week of being furloughed or forced to work without pay, unions and associations that represent them are putting increasing pressure on lawmakers to return to the negotiating table to cut a deal to reopen the government.
Ginette Young lined up with hundreds of furloughed federal workers ahead of a special food bank distribution on Tuesday in a suburb just outside the District of Columbia. “I’m here because I’ve had no paycheck for the last two weeks, and a short paycheck for the two weeks prior. I’ve had to cover bills, and my credit cards have been paying my medical and doctor's appointments. So I just need to restock the pantry a little bit, just to help get us over the hump.”
THE IMPACT
It is the 29th day of the government shutdown, and the pain for certain groups of people, like federal workers, has been profound. But a curious feature of this shutdown is how little the broader public seems to care about it, at least compared with previous shutdowns.
With just days to go before millions of low-income Americans are expected to see a pause in federal food assistance, state governments are trying to find ways to fill the void.
What does a shutdown mean for government contractors, employees, grantees and the general public? Click here for more information.
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