The 22-day government shutdown is now the second-longest in US history

The longest closure lasted 35 days, during President Donald Trump’s first term.

byJustin Gomez

Wednesday, October 22, 2025 at 5:02 pm

There is no end in sight after 3 weeks of government shutdown

Critics are questioning the Trump administration’s decision to continue construction of a $250 million White House auditorium. This comes as hundreds of thousands of federal workers brace for the possibility of losing another paycheck.

Washington– Wednesday marks the 22nd day of the government shutdown, now the second-longest in U.S. history.

The longest shutdown lasted 35 days from December 2018 to January 2019 during President Donald Trump’s first term.

The Senate will vote for the 12th time on Wednesday on a short-term clean funding bill, but that will fail again as Democrats continue to oppose reopening the government until there are negotiations on health care.

The US Capitol building is photographed, Friday, October 17, 2025, in Washington.

The US Capitol building is photographed, Friday, October 17, 2025, in Washington.

AFP Photos/Rahmat Gul

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Trump should not leave for Asia later this week without first negotiating with Democrats on funding, but Trump said he would not meet with Democratic leadership until the government reopens.

The House has been out of commission for four straight weeks, but a group of moderate Republicans sent a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson urging him to “immediately address” the expiration of the Obamacare tax credit — even though they said that should happen after the government is open.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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