As the ongoing federal government shutdown enters day 36 on Wednesday, it is now the longest on record and continues to disrupt the lives of millions of Americans with flight delays, program cuts and federal workers not receiving paychecks.
The shutdown has impacted various government services, including TSA operations, air traffic control, driver's license renewals, and passport processing.
RELATED STORY | White House clarifies Trump's remark on withholding SNAP money during shutdown
Congress has voted over a dozen times to end the current shutdown with no success as both sides of the political aisle remain at odds over health care. Republicans want a continuing resolution to reopen the government first and debate health care later, while Democrats are demanding concessions regarding expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies.
WATCH | Sen. Mark Kelly tells Scripps News that Pres. Trump is refusing to help end shutdown
President Donald Trump has reiterated his demand that Democrats must reopen the government before he'll agree to negotiate on expiring health care subsidies. With Democrats not budging, the president has also called on the Senate to scrap the filibuster so Republicans can re-open the government.
The filibuster — a decades-old Senate maneuver — allows lawmakers to stall or block legislation by prolonging debate. Ending a filibuster takes 60 votes in the full chamber — a threshold that lets Democrats counter the Republicans’ 53-seat majority, which played a role in triggering the Oct. 1 government shutdown at the start of the new fiscal year. However, it remains to be seen if lawmakers will follow the president's lead, rather than find ways to negotiate with Democrats.
RELATED STORY | Trump wants ‘nuclear option’ to end shutdown; it could shake Capitol Hill to its core
Previously, the longest shutdown on record lasted 35 days during President Donald Trump's first term from 2018-2019, resulting in $11 billion in lost economic productivity according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
One federal worker Scripps News spoke with described the unprecedented nature of this shutdown compared to previous furloughs.
"I've been furloughed before. I've never seen it like this where people actually had to go to a food bank," said Rolanda Williams, an employee with Social Security. "Normally, it's maybe a week or two or a day or two for a furlough, but not like this where there's just nothing coming in."
