Kathrine Frich
When political institutions stall, citizens often feel the impact long before leaders find common ground.
Across the United States, delayed benefits, missed paychecks, and deepening frustration are testing public confidence in government.
Weeks without progress
The partial closure of federal services has entered its second month, leaving hundreds of thousands of public workers unpaid and millions without access to certain programs.
Food assistance through SNAP, which supports about 42 million Americans, has been especially affected.
Several states have filed lawsuits to compel the administration to resume payments. Two court rulings have since ordered temporary funding, but long-term solutions remain uncertain.
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that he wanted the government reopened but accused Democrats of blocking action.
He said legal advisers were exploring ways to continue the program’s payments.
Growing division
Democratic leaders, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, have said Republicans hold the power to end the deadlock.
“It’s time for House Republicans to end their vacation and reopen the government,” Jeffries wrote on X.
Healthcare and food aid have become central points of dispute.
Polling expert Jeff Horwitt of Hart Research told NBC News that voters continue to associate healthcare issues more favorably with Democrats, though both parties are facing criticism.
Public opinion
A new NBC national survey found that 57 percent of respondents would vote to replace all members of Congress if possible, the highest level of anti-incumbent sentiment in more than a decade.
When asked who was most responsible for the shutdown, 52 percent pointed to Trump and congressional Republicans, while 42 percent blamed Democrats.
Four percent held both parties equally accountable.
More than a third of those surveyed said they or a family member had been directly affected by the government’s closure through delayed pay or lost benefits.
Long standoff
This shutdown has now surpassed the duration of the 2018–2019 closure, previously the longest in U.S. history.
Economists warn that an extended impasse could slow growth and disrupt essential federal operations.
As negotiations continue, services remain suspended, and many Americans are waiting to see when the political divide will finally give way to compromise.
Sources: Unilad, NBC News, Reuters, The Hill, Bloomberg
This article is made and published by Kathrine Frich, who may have used AI in the preparation
