A Nation Waits as the Shutdown Drags On
November 4, 2025 — The Atlantic Insider
The government shutdown, now in its 35th day, stands on the edge of an unwanted record. By Tuesday evening, it will surpass the 2019 impasse to become the longest shutdown in American history, a milestone no one wanted to reach.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune tried to sound hopeful. Speaking to reporters at the Capitol, the South Dakota Republican said he was “optimistic” that lawmakers could find a way out this week. The Senate, he added, plans to take its 14th vote on a House-passed funding bill Tuesday.
“I just think, based on, sort of, my gut of how these things operate, I think we’re getting close to an off-ramp here,” Thune said. But his words, though earnest, felt heavy against the backdrop of shuttered offices, empty paychecks, and quiet anxiety spreading through federal families and communities dependent on their work.
Across the country, the strain is visible. The U.S. Department of Agriculture told a federal court it will draw from an emergency contingency fund to issue partial November benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Households relying on SNAP will receive only half of their usual benefits this month, and the USDA warned that delays are likely as states struggle to keep programs running amid the uncertainty.
What began as a standoff has become a slow, grinding pause in the life of the nation. Thirty-four days have passed since the government first shut its doors. Each day since has deepened the sense that something essential has gone missing, not just funding or function, but faith that Washington can still move, still mend, still care.
