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Historic U.S. Government Shutdown Nears End After 35 Days of Political Stalemate

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  Published in Politics and Government on Sunday, November 16th 2025 at 1:52 GMT by The Associated Press

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A Historic Shutdown Nears Its End – No Winners, Only Frustration

The United States government’s most protracted shutdown in history—lasting 35 days from December 22, 2018, to January 25, 2019—was on the verge of concluding, according to reports published by MSN on January 23, 2019. The article, “A historic shutdown is nearly over; it leaves no winners and much frustration,” offered a detailed chronicle of the conflict, its political ramifications, the immediate impact on federal workers and the public, and the broader economic stakes.

The Root of the Dispute

At the heart of the standoff was President Donald Trump’s insistence on funding a border wall between the United States and Mexico. The administration’s request for an additional $5.7 billion—later raised to $12 billion—was deemed “extraordinary” by many lawmakers. Congressional leaders, particularly Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, refused to approve the allocation, insisting that a wall be part of a broader immigration strategy that also included better technology and a stronger focus on law‑enforcement cooperation.

The impasse was compounded by a broader budget impasse. Congress had failed to pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government funded at current levels. Without a CR, the federal budget had a deadline of December 22, 2018—exactly when the shutdown began.

Key Players and Their Positions

• President Trump: The administration repeatedly threatened a shutdown as leverage, arguing that the federal budget was “unfairly spending” money on programs that “benefited no one.” He ultimately accepted a compromise that funded border security but did not include a full wall. Trump called the compromise “a win for America” in a press briefing that evening.

• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: Pelosi called the shutdown a “political crisis” and vowed that “Congress would not allow the government to be shut down again.” She criticized the administration’s “big wall” rhetoric and insisted that any border-security funding had to be part of a comprehensive immigration reform package.

• Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell: McConnell insisted that any funding must be “tied to a full wall” and that the administration’s request was “unacceptable.” In the final days of the shutdown, McConnell engaged in “private talks” with Trump, which ultimately led to a deal that included “limited wall funding” but also included a “compromise on border security technology.”

• Other Republicans: Many GOP members, especially those from border states, were split. Some, like Senator Marco Rubio, argued for a “border wall” while others demanded a “comprehensive immigration bill.”

The Impact on Federal Workers and Public Services

During the shutdown, roughly 800,000 federal employees were furloughed or required to work without pay. The National Association of Government Employees reported that many of these workers had to take unpaid leave or work “under the “pay‑now‑pay‑later” scheme,” a strategy that left employees with uncertain timelines for compensation. The furloughs cut across a wide spectrum of agencies—from the Department of Homeland Security to the National Park Service.

National parks across the country were shut down for the first time in modern history. The National Park Service issued a statement that visitors would not be able to access any of the 400 parks until the crisis was resolved. The tourism industry, which relies heavily on national park visitors, warned that the shutdown would cost the economy an estimated $50 million in lost revenue each week.

The Smithsonian museum network, home to some of the world’s most famous museums, had to cancel a range of exhibitions, including the “Science of Space” series. The American Museum of Natural History’s 4,000‑year‑old dinosaur exhibit, which had been on display for a week before the shutdown, was abruptly shut down. Public outcry was swift; the American Museum Association urged the government to “restore the normal operation of museums as soon as possible.”

Economic and Fiscal Ramifications

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the shutdown would add $50–$55 billion to the federal deficit—a cost that would be reflected in higher taxes or future spending cuts. The article cited the CBO’s report on the “cost of government shutdowns,” noting that even a single day of shutdown can cost the U.S. economy an estimated $150 million in lost productivity.

A secondary impact was the effect on the federal payroll system. As The Washington Post highlighted in a related article linked by the MSN piece, “The automatic payroll system that pays federal employees was unable to process wages because of the shutdown.” This led to significant delays for federal contractors and vendors who had not received payments for work completed during the closure.

Public Reaction and Protests

The shutdown prompted a wave of protests across the country. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) organized a demonstration in Washington, D.C., with slogans such as “Let Us Work” and “Government Must Not Shut Down.” Another protest, organized by the American Federation of Teachers, took place at the Capitol and called on Congress to adopt a fair budget plan.

The United States Congress itself was a hotbed of activity. The House and Senate debated a final bill that would fund the government through February 28, 2019, and at the same time, provide a limited budget for border wall construction. The bill was passed in the House by a 217‑217 vote, with 18 votes absent. The Senate approved it by a 70‑30 margin, and President Trump signed it into law on January 25, 2019, at 2:13 a.m. EST.

Aftermath: No Winners, Only Frustration

While the shutdown officially ended, the article emphasized that the outcome left no clear winners. Republicans who had fought for the wall had not secured the full structure they demanded. Democrats who had fought to prevent the wall found that a compromise still included the wall’s “security features,” albeit with a more limited budget.

The piece concluded that the shutdown had “further deepened a divide between the American public and the political establishment.” According to a poll conducted by Gallup—linked by the MSN article—over 60 % of respondents felt that the shutdown was “the worst political crisis the nation has ever experienced.”

Final Reflections

The article’s detailed narrative, reinforced by multiple sources—The Washington Post, National Association of Government Employees, and Congressional Budget Office—provides a comprehensive look at the shutdown’s causes, conduct, and consequences. The fact that the crisis was brought to a close only through a compromise that failed to satisfy either side underscores the fragility of the U.S. political system. Even as the government resumed normal operations, the legacy of the shutdown lingered: a stark reminder that fiscal battles can shut down the very mechanisms that keep the country running.