The US is in the grip of an unprecedented crisis as the federal government shutdown, now the longest in history, continues to wreak havoc across the nation.
About 750,000 federal employees are working without pay, forcing many to rely on food banks to make ends meet. Meanwhile, a critical food aid program for millions of low-income families has run out of full funding, leaving countless Americans facing food insecurity and creating long lines at food banks nationwide.
The aviation sector is also in chaos. With air traffic controllers and TSA officers working unpaid, staff shortages have led to massive flight disruptions. Over a single weekend, nearly 10,000 flights were delayed and 2,700 were canceled.
At the heart of the shutdown is a bitter dispute over health insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. These subsidies help millions of Americans afford health insurance, but they are about to end.
Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer, are pushing to extend the subsidies, warning that if they aren't renewed, about 24 million people could see their insurance bills double.
Republicans, led by Mike Johnson, have refused to put the subsidy extension in the funding bill, halting negotiations altogether.
While the healthcare debate triggered the shutdown, its unprecedented duration exposes a deeper political dysfunction.
Even if the government reopens soon, the damage is done. Millions of Americans have endured hunger, financial hardship, and disrupted healthcare-painful reminders of how political gridlock ultimately leaves the people to suffer.
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