On Wednesday, the United States officially broke its own record for its longest-ever government shutdown. It is now in its 37th day, surpassing the 34-day shutdown during Donald Trump’s first presidency in 2018.

A government shutdown occurs when Congress fails to agree on funding for federal departments, preventing the government from legally spending money.

Since the current shutdown began, approximately 1.4 million federal employees have been affected, they are either on unpaid leave or working under uncertain conditions. Essential functions such as visa processing, national park operations, and public office maintenance are delayed or suspended.

The political impasse stems from the structure of Congress. Republicans control both chambers, but in the Senate, they fall short of the 60 votes needed to pass the spending bill, giving opposition Democrats significant negotiating power. On Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed its 14th proposal to fund the government, but the Senate rejected it, with a vote of 54 in favour and 44 against. No new Democrats joined in support of the measure, so the stalemate remains unresolved.

At the heart of the disagreement is healthcare spending, particularly programmes like Medicaid. Democrats want the bill to extend expiring tax credits that make health insurance more affordable and to reverse cuts to Medicaid, which provides healthcare to millions of elderly, disabled, and low-income Americans. Republicans want the tax credits to expire and propose negotiating healthcare separately, passing what they call a "clean resolution."

Healthcare programs are politically important because they affect millions of voters. Republican proposals could leave millions of Americans without state-subsidised insurance coverage. Democrats argue that using the shutdown to force cuts to these programs risks electoral backlash, especially in swing districts.