Impact of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history
USA TODAY’s Washington bureau chief explains the impact of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
According to Reuters, President Donald Trump said on July 22 that a government shutdown will begin on September 30, when current funding expires.
The comments came after the House passed a temporary funding resolution that would keep the government open until early December. The resolution will now be introduced in the Senate, but time is running out as both chambers are rapidly approaching their August recess.
Here’s what you need to know about the parliamentary calendar from now until the end of September.
The August recess will narrow an already difficult period.
The government’s current funding is scheduled to run out on September 30th. In theory, budgeting can take more than 50 days, not including weekends.
There’s just one problem with this schedule. Both chambers are scheduled to leave Washington, D.C., soon for their August recess.
Republican House leaders were eager to pass the funding bill early because lawmakers are in recess from July 27 to Aug. 28. The House will officially reconvene on September 1st.
On top of that, there is another week of recess from Sept. 7 to Sept. 11 to mark Labor Day and the beginning of the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashana, and the House has 16 days in session before the funding deadline.
Meanwhile, the Senate will begin its recess on August 10th, with lawmakers scheduled to return to the chamber on September 11th. It has until September 14th to officially reconvene at the Capitol. This means that 24 days of work remain, from July 23rd to September 30th.
11 days for both houses
The chances of passing a funding bill by the end of September are looking increasingly slim.
If the Senate decides to amend the bill passed on July 21, it would have to return to the House for another vote, further narrowing the field.
After all, from now until September 30th, both chambers will be in session simultaneously for just 11 days this week.
Another year, another closure looming.
By now, Americans are well aware of what a government shutdown means.
The recent unrest is reminiscent of last year’s record 43-day government shutdown that began on October 1, 2025, after Congress failed to pass a funding bill.
The shutdown ostensibly ended in mid-November, but a partial government shutdown continued into April, angering the Department of Homeland Security and causing long delays and disruptions at airports across the country.
Drew Pittock covers trending news from around the country for USA TODAY. He can be reached at DPittock@usatodayco.com.
