The U.S. federal government shutdown, which began just after midnight on October 1, surpassed the previous record for the longest in the nation's history on Wednesday.

The second-longest shutdown lasted 35 days from 2018 to 2019, during President Donald Trump’s first term.

Why It Matters

The shutdown has resulted in the interruption of SNAP benefits for millions of Americans and hundreds of thousands of federal employees furloughed or working without pay.

The shutdown began after Democrats and Republicans failed to reach an agreement on legislation to fund the government. Democrats are seeking an extension of health care tax credits that are set to expire and the restoration of cuts made to Medicaid in a previous spending bill, but Republicans have not agreed to the proposal.

Current

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