WASHINGTON – The second-longest government shutdown in history is likely to continue at least through the weekend with the Senate recessed until next week and President Donald Trump departing Friday night for a multi-day trip to Asia.

Senators left Thursday after failing to advance legislation that aimed to pay essential workers, such as military troops or immigration enforcement agents, despite the funding lapse. Workers expect to miss their first full paychecks within the next few days, depending on where they work.

The vote was different from the previous 11 votes that failed to advance a House-passed bill to fund the government through Nov. 21. The last vote on that temporary remedy was Wednesday as advocates warned about running out of food benefits, delayed flights and other lost services during the shutdown.

The shutdown, entering its 24th day, has dragged on for long enough that lawmakers are looking for options for a longer, temporary funding bill to complete negotiations on full-year funding for government agencies.

Trump told reporters he didn’t know if the shutdown would be resolved by the time he returns from a trip to Asia on Oct. 30. His trip will take him to Malaysia, Japan and South Korea.

Capitol Police union says officers are in dire straits amid shutdown

With the government shutdown almost certain to reach a fifth week, lawmakers' inability to compromise is increasingly hurting the people in charge of protecting them.

Gus Papathanasiou, the head of the labor union for the United States Capitol Police, said his colleagues, on their second pay period without a check, are feeling the financial pressure.

"My officers are frustrated right now," he said in a statement Friday. "I have officers who are taking out loans to pay their rent and feed their families. I have officers who are borrowing money from family members to make their car payment, pay for daycare, or pay their student loans."

Competing bills to pay federal workers, including law enforcement officers, during the shutdown failed to advance in the Senate this week. - Zachary Schermele

House officially out for another week

The House of Representatives is officially scheduled to be out for another week, even as the shutdown is barreling toward record length.

Though he's acknowledged some frustration about the strategy within the GOP caucus, Speaker Mike Johnson has kept the chamber away from voting as part of an effort to pressure Senate Democrats. Without the House in session, it's impossible to pass any bipartisan funding deals.

The House recess, which began Sept. 19, is slated to continue through Sunday, Nov. 2. Lawmakers will receive a 48-hour notice if the speaker changes his mind and decides to bring them back to vote. - Zachary Schermele

Expiring health care subsidies remains the focus of shutdown for Democrats

Health care policy remains the dividing line for Democrats on Day 24 of the federal government shutdown.

Senate Democrats have 12 times blocked a Republican-backed continuing resolution to fund the government at existing spending levels. Democrats argue legislation to reopen the government should also extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies and reverse Republicans’ Medicaid cuts passed over the summer.

Republicans have refused to entertained negotiations on health care policy, arguing the health care subsidies should be debated by Congress after the shutdown is over.

Democrats have circled Nov. 1 as a key date in their push. That’s when open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, begins and millions of Americans will start shopping for their 2026 health coverage plans.

If the subsidies are not extended by November, healthcare.gov consumers could experience sticker shock when they start searching for health care plans. Premiums are expected to double for millions of Americans if the subsidies are not renewed, according to the research organization KFF.

Inflation ticked up in September

Inflation ticked up again in September, revealing the persistence of rising prices as the job market shows signs of cooling and consumers head into the holiday season.

Consumer prices increased 3% from a year earlier, slightly up from 2.9% in August, according to the Labor Department’s Consumer Price Index, a measure of goods and services costs across the country.

The economic impact of the ongoing government shutdown has not yet been fully felt, according to Bankrate Financial Analyst Stephen Kates. At the Bureau of Labor Statistics, October data collection has been suspended during the lapse in funding.

“Federal layoffs or the absence of backpay would drag down spending and worsen labor conditions, especially in the local areas most affected,” Kates said in an Oct. 21 note. “The longer the shutdown continues, the larger our blind spot will be on current economic conditions.”

– Rachel Barber

What is the Social Security COLA adjustment for 2026?

While the Labor department's jobs report was delayed due to the ongoing shutdown, today's Consumer Price Index received special attention as it was needed to calculate cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, for Social Security.

The Social Security Administration announced a 2.8% adjustment in 2026, larger than the 2.5% increase beneficiaries have received in 2025.

– Rachel Barber

Airline pilot unions urge passage of Republican bill to end shutdown

Pilots for major airlines are jumping into the fight over the federal government shutdown as three pilot unions called on Congress to end the stalemate by passing the Republican-backed continuing resolution.

The Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations, the NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots, and the Allied Pilots Association issued separate statements on Thursday urging Congress to pass a "clean" continuing resolution to reopen the government.

Their statements came after a fourth union, Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, endorsed the Republican-backed continuing resolution the previous day.

About 13,000 air traffic controllers ‒ considered "essential" workers ‒ are working without pay during the shutdown. Transportation Security Administration employees are also forced to work without pay.

"We have seen the stress and tension this year on the National Airspace System due to short-staffed air traffic controllers," the Coalition of Airline Pilot Associations said in a statement. "This shutdown only compounds the pressures they face as they now report to work without a paycheck."

The Air Line Pilots Association, the largest pilot union with about 80,000 members, in an Oct. 15 statement called on lawmakers to find a solution to reopen the government, but it did not specify which bill Congress should pass.

The White House warned that Americans should expect airport delays and disruptions if the shutdown spills into the Thanksgiving holiday, when travel historically spikes.

"We fear there will be there will be significant flight delays, disruptions and cancellations across the country this holiday season," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a Thursday briefing with reporters. "If Democrats continue to shut down the government, they will also be shutting down American air travel." Read more.

Unsuccessful Senate bill aimed to pay essential workers

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin, proposed legislation that would have paid "essential" workers such as air-traffic controllers, members of the military and immigrant enforcement agents, who remain on the job despite a lack of paychecks.

"We're not paying them," Johnson said. "That's absurd."

The 54-45 vote fell short of the 60 necessary to advance the bill. Three Democrats joined Republicans in supporting the measure: Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff of Georgia and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania.

Trump uncertain if shutdown will be resolved during Asia trip

Trump told reporters he didn’t know if the shutdown would be resolved by the time he returns from a trip to Asia on Oct. 30.

"I don't know," he told reporters at the White House.

Trump leaves Friday for a trip to Malaysia, Japan and South Korea. But he said Democrats “have gone totally crazy” and their unpredictability leaves resolution of the dispute uncertain.

“I don’t think they know what they’re doing right now,” Trump said.

Time runs short to resolve full-year funding bills even if shutdown ends

The House approved legislation to keep the government funded through Nov. 21 because lawmakers thought seven weeks would provide enough time to approve full-year spending bills.

But with half that period gone already, without even the temporary funding approved, lawmakers are starting to look for options to both reopen the government and fund it for an entire year.

Another bill might be required just to reopen the government until December or next year. But the House has been out while waiting for the Senate to reopen the government. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, has opposed bringing back the House until the Senate acts.

Rep. Jason Smith, R-Missouri, who heads the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, told Bloomberg TV on Wednesday that some Republicans are talking about extending funding past the next election, until Dec. 1, 2026.

“Every day that passes, we’ve got less time to fund the government,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, told reporters Monday.

A shortage of air-traffic controllers could lead to cancelled flights: DOT

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that a shortage of air-traffic controllers could lead to more delayed and cancelled flights with the holidays approaching.

Duffy told reporters Oct. 23 that controllers will miss their first full paycheck Oct. 28. As they grow concerned about how to pay their mortgage or car loan, or to put food on the table, Duffy worried they would look for second jobs.

“I don’t want my air-traffic controllers taking a second job,” Duffy said of the high-stress job requiring concentration.

Duffy said a lack of controllers would lead to reduced flights.

“Safety is paramount for us,” Duffy said. “You will see us delay traffic. You will see us cancel flights.”

Former budget official: SNAP food benefits could be extended

Sharon Parrott, president of the nonpartisan research institute Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said the Trump administration could continue providing food assistance to low-income families through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program despite the shutdown.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has warned full benefits won’t be available Nov. 1 if the shutdown continues. But Parrott, a former Office of Management and Budget official, said the administration could shift billions of dollars in contingency funding to continue benefits for the 42 million people who participate in the program.

“It would be unconscionable for the Administration to go out of its way to threaten millions of children, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, parents, and workers with hunger, rather than taking all legal steps available to provide food assistance to people who need it," Parrott said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Senate recesses, Trump preps for Asia trip as shutdown showdown continues

Reporting by Bart Jansen, Joey Garrison, Zachary Schermele and Rachel Barber, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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