The U.S. government shutdown on Wednesday entered its 22nd day, becoming the second-longest federal funding lapse ever, with no end in sight.
The milestone means that the two longest shutdowns have both occurred while President Donald Trump was in office.
The longest shutdown began in December 2018, in Trump’s first term, and dragged on for nearly five weeks. That shutdown stemmed from a dispute about funding Trump’s contentious immigration policy.
The current shutdown resulted from Senate Democrats refusing to vote for a short-term government funding bill sponsored by Republicans, because it lacks additional spending on health care and other provisions.
Democrats want any funding bill to extend enhanced tax credits under the Affordable Care Act, without which health insurance premiums for millions of Americans could rise significantly in 2026. Those credits are set to expire at the end of the year.
