Pressure builds on Congress to end the shutdown, but a quick breakthrough appears unlikely
October 27, 2025
The pressure to end the second-longest federal government shutdown is taking on new urgency this week. Millions of Americans face the prospect of losing food assistance. More federal workers will miss their first full paycheck. And more frequent delays at the nation’s airports are snarling travel plans. The building strain on lawmakers to end the impasse was exemplified by the nation’s largest federal employee union calling on Congress to immediately pass a funding bill and end the shutdown. At the Capitol, congressional leaders used their time highlighting the difficulties many Americans are facing. And they attempted to lay blame for those difficulties on the other side of the political aisle.