US government shutdown to enter second week — Could it break previous records?

The US government shutdown is barreling toward its second week, leaving thousands of federal employees without pay as Washington’s funding battle drags on.

Amid the standoff, the administration has begun laying off over 4,000 workers — a move seen as an attempt to ramp up pressure on Democrats. But despite the political brinkmanship, signs suggest the shutdown could stretch even longer, prompting speculation over whether it might break past records.

Republican Mike Johnson predicts this shutdown might breaks record

Republican Speaker Mike Johnson predicted Monday that the federal govt shutdown may become the longest in history, stating he “won't negotiate” with Democrats until they pause their health care demands and reopen the government.

Standing alone at the Capitol on the 13th day of the shutdown, the speaker said he was unaware of the details regarding the thousands of federal workers being dismissed by the Trump administration. It is an unusually large-scale layoff, widely perceived as an attempt to leverage the shutdown to reduce the scope of government operations, AP news reported.

Vice President JD Vance has warned of “painful” cuts ahead, even as employee unions initiate legal action. “We’re barreling toward one of the longest shutdowns in American history,” Johnson of Louisiana stated.

What was the previous record
The longest shutdown on record commenced on December 22-2018, during President Donald Trump's first term at the White House. Democrats in Congress refused to support a spending bill that included Trump's Rs 4,730 crore request for fencing on the U.S.-Mexico border. Lawmakers ultimately approved a spending bill without funding for the border wall, which Trump signed into law on January 25-2019, ending the shutdown.

The government partially shut down on December 16-1995, amid a clash between the Republican-controlled Congress and then-President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, over balancing the budget. Clinton signed a bill to re-open the govt on January 6-1996. Some polls indicated that the public largely blamed Republicans in Congress for the shutdown, and some analysts suggested the dispute helped Clinton win reelection in 1996.

Will it break previous record?

With no resolution in sight, the shutdown is expected to continue indefinitely. Congress seems to be in no mood to mend right now for the bill.

Back in March, Senate leader Chuck Schumer took heat from his own party for backing a Republican spending bill to avert a government shutdown. This time, he’s standing his ground.

For Democrats, the standoff offers a rare chance to push back against an administration that’s been charging ahead with its own agenda. But the decision to block the GOP’s latest funding plan comes with political risks — as public frustration grows and the shutdown’s fallout deepens.

At the heart of the Democrats’ demands is the renewal of expiring health insurance subsidies they argue are vital for With Congress and the White House deadlocked, some anticipate the end of the month as the next possible deadline to reopen the govt.

This coincides with the commencement of open enrollment on November 1 for the health programme in question, and Americans may face the threat of significantly increased insurance premiums. The Kaiser Family Foundation has projected that monthly costs could double if Congress fails to renew the subsidy payments set to expire on Dec. 31. Additionally, this is when govt workers on monthly pay schedules, including thousands of House aides, will experience delays in receiving paychecks.