DAY 34: New month, renewed hopes for a resolution
- Agora
- Nov 3
- 3 min read
AGORA SHUTDOWN UPDATE
November 3, 2025
One day before the partial government shutdown ties the record for the longest in history, talks are quietly picking up on Capitol Hill about how to end it.
Meanwhile, judges are demanding the White House release SNAP benefits, contractors are wondering whether recouping shutdown losses, and a furloughed IRS lawyer is selling hot dogs on the street.
Here's the latest as the shutdown enters its second month.
CONGRESS
Congress is on track this week to break an unflattering record: presiding over the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
Members of both parties are looking for a way to end the monthlong government shutdown after weeks of minimal progress.
At least eight moderate Senate Democrats are meeting in hopes of finding a deal to end the monthlong government shutdown, but sources familiar with the closely held conversations say they will need strong assurances from the GOP before voting to reopen the government.
Republicans are quickly tamping down President Donald Trump’s call to eliminate the Senate filibuster as they try to keep pressure on Democrats to end the 31-day government shutdown.
WHITE HOUSE
A federal judge in Boston ruled Friday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s plan to pause a food assistance program for 42 million people was illegal — but gave the Trump administration until Monday to respond to her finding before she decides on a motion to force the benefits be paid despite the ongoing government shutdown.
FEDERAL AGENCIES
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Sunday said he expects flight delays to continue as airports continue to face staffing shortages amid the government shutdown.
Government contractors face mounting costs and operational chaos as the federal shutdown stretches every closer to the longest in U.S. But there’s another problem besides late payments and expired contracts: Companies are frightened and fearful to exercise their legal rights to recoup losses.
FEDERAL WORKFORCE
The government shutdown entered its second month on Saturday, meaning agencies once again sent furlough notices to hundreds of thousands of workers. The new notices largely included the same boilerplate language as the originals that went out at the outset of the shutdown, with one notable difference: they no longer contained language assuring employees that back pay was guaranteed when the shutdown concluded.
As the shutdown enters its second month, some furloughed federal workers are finding new sources of income after weeks of making do without paychecks.
What does a shutdown mean for government contractors, employees, grantees and the general public? Click here for more information.
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