The shutdown of the United States Government (USA) completed 36 days this Wednesday, November 5th, with no end in sight for the impasse in parliament, setting a new record as the longest federal shutdown in the country’s history.
Nonetheless, Concerns are growing about a lack of funding for social programs and the possible closure of parts of US airspace due to staffing shortages.
More than 42 million people stopped receiving federal food assistance, and the absence of air traffic controllers, forced to continue working without pay, caused flight delays and cancellations at airports across the country.
“Democrats’ obstructionism will break the record for the longest government shutdown in US history,” US Presidential Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had warned on Tuesday.
Republicans and Democrats have exchanged accusations for the strike, which was prolonged on Monday, after the Senate, the upper house of parliament, rejected a Republican proposal for temporary financing of the Government while negotiations continue.
Democrats demand the approval of more subsidies for the public health insurance program Obamacare, while the Republican majority — which controls both chambers of Congress — accuses the opposition, without evidence, of wanting to benefit undocumented immigrants.
“The shutdown is a product of the President’s intransigence, of his refusal to negotiate a balanced and fair budget”, declared the Democratic leader in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, who blamed Donald Trump and the Republicans for the ‘shutdown’.
“Americans should not have to pay the price for a political game that puts the nation’s security and essential services at risk,” Schumer added.
The current strike surpasses that of 2019, when, during Trump’s previous presidency, the Government was paralyzed for 35 days due to a standoff with Democrats over funding for a wall on the border with Mexico.
At that time, more than 800,000 federal employees were forced to work without pay or were temporarily suspendeda situation that threatens to repeat itself if a budgetary agreement is not reached soon.
On Tuesday night, Trump attributed the electoral victories achieved by the Democrats to the federal government shutdown caused by the impasse in Budget negotiations.