US Government Shutdown Persists into Fourth Week amid Senate Deadlock

The U.S. government shutdown has entered its fourth week, with escalating tensions between Democrats and Republicans impeding resolution. Senate Republicans, aligned with President Donald Trump, insist that Democrats must first agree to reopen the government before negotiating further, while Democrats demand that any funding measure include extensions of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies to help millions of Americans. Senate Democrats have repeatedly blocked Republican-led stopgap funding bills lacking ACA subsidy extensions, rejecting the House-passed bill 11 times, as the shutdown continues to furlough over 700,000 federal workers. Senate Republican leaders have begun considering bringing the Republican-controlled House back into session to pass a new funding bill, but House Speaker Mike Johnson has kept the House out of session amid ongoing impasse. President Trump’s administration remains optimistic about a potential end to the shutdown this week, with economic advisers suggesting stronger measures may be imposed if Democrats do not negotiate. The political standoff persists, with no immediate resolution in sight, as both parties hold firm to their positions on reopening the government and addressing the ACA subsidy crisis.