Published Jul 22, 2026, 5:00 AM EDT
Veterans and military families are speaking out against government shutdowns as another one may be around the corner.
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Published Jul 22, 2026, 5:00 AM EDT
Nearly 8 in 10 veterans believe that government shutdowns are harmful to national security, according to a new poll published amid concerns that the U.S. federal government is headed for another lapse of funding this fall. Polling of 800 military veterans and active military members by YouGov found that 77% hold this negative view about a shutdown, which occurs when Congress does not pass funding bills and causes non-essential government services to close. Another 47% said a shutdown was very harmful, while 30% said that it was somewhat harmful for national security. Just 4% said it was either somewhat helpful or very helpful for national security, and 19% said it was neither harmful nor helpful. The polling was carried out between June 12 and 23. It has a margin of error of +/- 4 percent. The survey was carried out as government shutdowns have become more routine in comparison to the past. There was a 43-day shutdown in the final months of 2025, making it the longest shutdown in history. President Donald Trump ultimately signed a funding bill in mid-November after millions of federal workers suffered pay lapses and were furloughed, in addition to other negative impacts on SNAP benefits, for example. Meanwhile, another partial government shutdown took place in February, over wrangling about a funding package for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Overall, the shutdowns this year have lasted a total of 116 days.
