By Cassidy Crawford, Staff Writer
Photo Courtesy of Unsplash
One of the most important institutions of the United States is our government…and it shut down? The government, after failing to provide funding past September 30, 2025, was in a shutdown.[1] This became the longest shutdown in United States history on November 5, 2025 surpassing the previous record of thirty-five days that was set during President Trump’s first term.[2] A government shutdown occurs when Congress is unable to fund operations of federal programs and agencies because they failed to pass appropriations bills.[3] Up until September 30, 2025 the federal government was operating under a continuing resolution (CR).[4] This was a temporary spending bill that Congress may institute when final appropriations have not been approved by Congress and the president and this still allows federal government operations to continue.[5] Unfortunately, a new budget was not agreed upon before the CR expired, and Americans were affected by the shutdown in different areas of our everyday lives, including air travel, paychecks, and food assistance.[6]
Starting November 7, 2025 the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reduced air traffic by 10% at 40 of the United States’ biggest airports.[7] This cut back began with a 4% reduction and would have increased until it reached 10% on Friday, November 14.[8] Nearly 1,600 flights were canceled for Monday November 10 and approximately 1,000 were canceled for Tuesday November 11. Even now that the shutdown has ceased, passengers of air travel still experienced the side effects through backlogs and thousands of canceled flights.[9] While frustrating for passengers and customers, the air traffic controllers were not in the best of situations either.[10] These hard-working American citizens were being required to work without pay, leading to staffing shortages as many are unable to survive on this lack of a paycheck and are forced to go find paying work elsewhere.[11]
Air traffic controllers weren’t the only group experiencing a loss of pay during the government shutdown.[12] Also affected were those in active-duty service, civilian employees at federal agencies, and regular federal agencies. There have been 670,000 federal employees furloughed and 730,000 who continued to work without pay.[13] 1.3 million active-duty personnel were being forced to serve, potentially without pay, in addition to 750,000 National Guard and reserve personnel. While the government reallocated funds to pay active-duty troops on October 31, had the government shutdown not been resolved shortly before November 14, it may have been the first time in history that a paycheck was not given to members of all military branches because of a government shutdown.[14] There are 12 appropriations bills needed to fund the government, corresponding to the 12 subcommittees of the Appropriations Committees of the House and Senate.[15] These subcommittees are tasked with developing, drafting, and managing the consideration of one appropriations act for each fiscal year.[16] For example, there is a subcommittee for each of the following topics: homeland security, defense, financial services and general government, the legislative branch, and others.[17] Both chambers of Congress (the House and the Senate) needed to approve the bill before it could be presented to President Trump for his signature, ending the government shutdown.[18]
[1] https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/us-government-shutdown-becomes-longest-in-history
[2] https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/us-government-shutdown-becomes-longest-in-history
[3] https://liccardo.house.gov/government-shutdown-faqs
[4] https://liccardo.house.gov/government-shutdown-faqs
[5] https://www.gao.gov/blog/what-continuing-resolution-and-how-does-it-impact-government-operations
[6] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy40qndep8yo
[7] https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/government-shutdown-faa-flight-cancellations-delays-11-10-2025
[8] https://www.nytimes.com/article/shutdown-faa-flight-delays-cancellations.html
[9] https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/government-shutdown-faa-flight-cancellations-delays-11-10-2025
[10] https://www.npr.org/2025/11/05/nx-s1-5598420/air-traffic-controllers-government-shutdown
[11] https://www.npr.org/2025/11/05/nx-s1-5598420/air-traffic-controllers-government-shutdown
[12] https://bipartisanpolicy.org/explainer/who-is-missing-paychecks-in-the-2025-shutdown-when-and-where/
[13] https://bipartisanpolicy.org/explainer/who-is-missing-paychecks-in-the-2025-shutdown-when-and-where/
[14] https://bipartisanpolicy.org/explainer/who-is-missing-paychecks-in-the-2025-shutdown-when-and-where/
[15] https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R47106
[16] https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R47106
[17] https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R47106
[18] https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R47106