Shutdown Enters Fourth Week Over ePTC Fight

The federal government shutdown has stretched into its third-to-fourth week with little negotiation as members of Congress meet constituents and agencies and services feel the strain. House Republicans say their stopgap funding bill contains no partisan “poison pills” and cast the impasse as a “Schumer shutdown,” while Senate Democrats have repeatedly blocked the measure pending negotiations over extending enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits (ePTCs). Multiple polls show Americans tilting slightly toward blaming Republicans for the stalemate (Reuters/Ipsos 50%–43%; Quinnipiac 45%–39%; Economist/YouGov 39%–31%), though focus groups of Pennsylvania swing voters often fault both parties. The shutdown is already disrupting programs such as SNAP and Head Start in states including Minnesota, prompting warnings of missed benefits and rising constituent anger. Political messaging is sharply divided — Republicans emphasize mitigation and fiscal restraint, Democrats press health-care priorities, conservative commentators accuse Democrats of inflicting pain, and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has taken a higher-profile role; how the standoff resolves could shape voter perceptions heading into 2026.