The longer the shutdown lasts, the harder it is to mask - Politico
Original story by: Politico
Last updated: Oct 22, 2025
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- Context: The ongoing government shutdown is causing significant disruptions across various sectors, impacting federal employees, essential services, and public programs. Republicans are attempting to shift blame to Democrats, but public opinion, as indicated by polls, suggests they are currently shouldering more responsibility. The administration is employing temporary measures and exploring creative funding solutions to mitigate the immediate effects, though these are often short-term fixes with potential legal and operational challenges.
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- Detailed Summary:
- Public Opinion: Polls indicate that a large majority of Americans view the shutdown as a serious problem, with Republicans facing a greater share of public blame than Democrats.
- Essential Services & Staff: Air travel is largely unaffected, but sporadic delays due to staffing shortages have occurred. Air traffic controllers are working without pay, and the administration is seeking ways to pay them to prevent widespread travel disruptions. Military personnel face potential missed paychecks if the shutdown persists, though temporary funding measures are in place.
- Social Programs: The WIC program for low-income women and infants requires additional funding to continue operations beyond November. A significant number of Head Start programs for children and families are also at risk of missing payments.
- National Parks: National parks are currently more functional than in past shutdowns due to the use of limited reserves and non-appropriated funds, but the long-term sustainability of this approach is uncertain.
- Federal Judiciary: The federal judiciary is experiencing impacts, with staff furloughs, mandatory unpaid work, and reduced operating schedules affecting courts nationwide.
- Legal Ramifications: The administration's efforts to shuffle funds to cover shutdown impacts may face legal challenges under the Antideficiency Act, which prohibits spending appropriated funds without congressional approval.
- Political Messaging: The White House is actively attempting to attribute blame to Democrats through various channels, including agency websites, email out-of-office messages, and directing agency heads to engage in public messaging campaigns.
- Federal Workforce: The administration is pursuing large-scale layoffs targeting programs and projects not aligned with the President's priorities, though these actions have been blocked by a federal judge.
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