US Government Shutdown Hits 21 Days, Second Longest in History

The U.S. federal government shutdown has reached its 21st day, marking it as one of the longest in history, with no resolution in sight. President Donald Trump has blamed Democrats for the shutdown and urged them to approve a "clean" funding bill, while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Republicans of using the shutdown as a political tactic and blamed Trump for the crisis. The shutdown has caused widespread disruptions, including furloughs for over a million federal workers, impacts on air travel, and constraints on national parks and research institutions. Republicans argue that Democrats are leveraging the shutdown to push unrelated healthcare demands and insist the government should reopen first before policy negotiations continue. Economic analysts warn that a prolonged shutdown could harm U.S. economic growth, weaken consumer sentiment, and increase market volatility. Public frustration is mounting as both parties face criticism for the stalemate amid a broader breakdown in trust and cooperation in an election-driven political environment.