US Shutdown Enters 36th Day, Services and Travel Impacted

The United States is in its longest federal shutdown on record, now on day 36, following a stalemate over healthcare funding and wider budget priorities. The stoppage is placing strain on government employees and interrupting public services and economic activity.

About 600,000 federal staff continue to work without pay while roughly 650,000 are on furlough. The Education Department's Office of Federal Student Aid has furloughed about 85% of employees, raising concerns over FAFSA processing delays during peak college application season. Tax refunds, product approvals and other routine services are also experiencing slowdowns.

Air travel is increasingly affected as the Federal Aviation Administration faces staffing shortfalls. Air traffic controllers working unpaid have taken unscheduled absences, contributing to flight delays and cancellations at major airports ahead of the Thanksgiving travel rush.

Public health monitoring has been hit: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention paused its FluView dashboard, creating gaps in weekly tracking of influenza, COVID-19 and RSV, and the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report has been suspended.

Economists warn of broader damage: the Congressional Budget Office says an eight-week shutdown could shave up to two percentage points off fourth-quarter GDP growth, costing billions in lost output.

Food assistance has been disrupted as well. Due to limited contingency funds, only half of November’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits will be issued to about 42 million people, and recalculations could take weeks or months.

Political gridlock continues despite recent Democratic wins in New Jersey, Virginia and New York City. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has called for a full government reopening, while Speaker Mike Johnson has argued Republicans have repeatedly proposed funding measures, blaming Democrats for obstruction.

Analysts say breaking the impasse may require intense public pressure, a procedural move in Congress or an unusual bipartisan agreement. President Donald Trump has urged Senate Republicans to consider the "nuclear option" to end the filibuster and advance a funding bill, but leaders report insufficient support.

As the shutdown persists, Americans face growing uncertainty over essential services, personal finances and public safety, with impacts likely to extend into the months ahead.