US government shutdown becomes longest in history

The United States (US) is experiencing the longest government shutdown in its history, with federal agencies closed for 36 consecutive days and hundreds of thousands of employees left without pay.

The prolonged standoff between President Donald Trump and Democratic leaders in Congress has surpassed all previous shutdowns, breaking the 35-day record set at the end of 2018 and the start of 2019, also during Trump’s first term, Caliber.Az reports via NBC News.

The current shutdown has even exceeded the 21-day crisis of 1995–1996, which stemmed from a dispute over Trump’s demand for funding to build a border wall — a proposal Democrats refused to support.

The ongoing suspension of government operations reflects a deep political crisis in Washington.

Despite the lack of a final agreement, some senators say “behind-the-scenes” talks are underway, showing signs of limited progress.

The shutdown, which began on October 1 after Congress failed to agree on a budget for the new fiscal year, has left about 1.4 million federal employees either furloughed or working without pay.

President Donald Trump has blamed Democrats for the impasse, saying he will use the situation to pursue major staff cuts and eliminate what he calls “unnecessary” government programs.

By Jeyhun Aghazada