Opinion - The government may not open again this year, thanks to Speaker Johnson [View all]

The government shutdown is now officially the longest on record, surpassing the previous record of 34 days that occurred during President Trump’s first term in office. That shutdown, which lasted from Dec. 22, 2018, through Jan. 25, 2019, ended when the president backed down on his border wall funding demands.

It is becoming clear that there are no obvious concessions available at this time that can lead to the government opening any time soon.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) sent all House members home just before Oct. 1, placing the chamber in recess. This strategy meant that the only way for the government to avoid being shut down was for the Senate to garner the 60 votes needed to approve the “clean” continuing resolution passed by the House. Once the government shut down, the Senate was forced to vote on the resolution, with the House in recess and unable to make any amendments. To date, the Senate has held more than a dozen votes, with each falling short of the requisite 60 votes.

The continuing resolution is considered “clean” because it contains nothing more than an extension of existing government funding through Nov. 21. Democrats are asking for changes that would extend subsidies associated with the Affordable Care Act, which were not included in Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/opinion-government-may-not-open-150000946.html