DAY 36: The longest shutdown in American history
- Agora
- Nov 5
- 3 min read
AGORA SHUTDOWN UPDATE
November 5, 2025
Some records may never be broken (Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak, 70 million copies of Michael Jackson’s Thriller sold, etc.). Other records should never be broken – like the 35-day government shutdown in 2018-19.
Sadly, the White House and Congress have now achieved that dubious honor.
While discussions continue among rank-and-file Senators to find a way out of the mess, the parties’ leadership aren’t talking. And Democrats’ better-than-expected results in yesterday’s elections may prompt some Ds to hold out longer for a better deal.
No matter what happens, the consequences for the country – in lost data, canceled flights, denied SNAP benefits and much, much more – keep piling up.
CONGRESS
A bipartisan group of lawmakers said on Tuesday they have made slight progress toward ending the government shutdown, which is poised to become the longest in U.S. history after another failed vote will drag it into its 36th day.
Fresh from the party’s victories in off-year elections across the map, top congressional Democrats are insisting on a meeting with President Donald Trump to discuss the shutdown.
Just hours before the government shutdown became the longest in U.S. history, Senate Democrats privately agonized behind closed doors Tuesday about bringing it to an end.
A scrap is emerging among Republicans on Capitol Hill over how long a stopgap spending bill should last as part of a deal to end a record-setting government shutdown.
WHITE HOUSE
President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the government shutdown played a “big role” in Democrats’ victories Tuesday night and urged Republicans to kill the Senate filibuster to quickly restore federal funding.
FEDERAL AGENCIES
The ongoing government shutdown, on track to become the longest funding lapse in U.S. history, is leading to staffing shortages at some agencies, given a rise in absences among federal employees expected to keep working without pay.
The federal cybersecurity system is weathering a series of crises that couldn’t have arrived at a worse time. The F5 security breach from Oct. 15, the proposed elimination of more than 1,000 jobs at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the ongoing federal government shutdown have created a perfect storm that is not only leaving critical vulnerabilities exposed across the nation’s digital infrastructure, but it’s also weakening the workforce meant to defend it.
FEDERAL WORKFORCE
With the current government shutdown becoming the longest budget stalemate in history, Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., wants to know how the Office of Personnel Management plans on continuing to pay for federal employees’ health insurance.
THE IMPACT
The shutdown has halted the flow of key economic data from the government that's used by economists, policymakers and businesses to make critical decisions. Reports from statistical agencies like the Census Bureau, Department of Labor, and Department of Agriculture are all on hold because they lack the staffing to administer the surveys and data collection.
What does a shutdown mean for government contractors, employees, grantees and the general public? Click here for more information.
Questions? Comments? Email Agora.
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