The US government has entered its 36th day of shutdown, the longest in history.

(CLO) The US government entered its 36th day of shutdown today (November 5), breaking the record of 35 days that occurred during President Donald Trump's first term.

The stalemate began after the US Congress failed to pass a budget bill by the September 30 deadline, forcing a series of federal agencies to temporarily shut down. The longer it lasted, the more serious the consequences became: welfare programs - including food aid for millions of households - were stalled, and 1.4 million federal workers were furloughed or working without pay.

Hours before the record was broken, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned of “massive chaos” at airports if the shutdown continued into a sixth week. He said a shortage of air traffic controllers was forcing some airports to close sections of airspace, while scores of flights could be canceled or delayed.

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The American Automobile Association (AAA) predicts a record 5.8 million air passengers will travel on Thanksgiving Day, November 27. But more than 60,000 air traffic controllers and airport security (TSA) employees are still working without pay, raising concerns that mass layoffs could paralyze the entire system.

It was the mass “sick leave” of airport workers protesting unpaid work that forced Trump to end the 2019 shutdown. But the two parties have yet to find common ground. Democrats want to extend the expiring health insurance subsidy program before voting on a new budget, while Republicans insist on discussing health care only after the spending bill is passed.

Amid the impasse, some moderate lawmakers from both parties have tried to find a way out. A group of four moderate House members have released a proposal to reduce health insurance costs, hoping to break the stalemate. Democrats believe pressure from people facing rising insurance costs can force the Republicans to make concessions.

President Trump, however, has remained tough, saying in an interview with CNN that he “will not be blackmailed” and has continued to use the government shutdown as political leverage, even as he threatened to fire civil servants and cut food aid.

However, the White House later clarified that it remains “fully compliant with its legal obligations” and is looking to disburse a portion of the SNAP aid to the 42 million people affected.

Source: https://congluan.vn/chinh-phu-my-buoc-sang-ngay-thu-36-dong-cua-lau-nhat-lich-su-10316691.html