House Speaker Mike Johnson cautioned on Monday that the ongoing government shutdown may surpass the longest in U.S. history. “We’re heading toward one of the longest shutdowns in American history,” Johnson said at a press conference.
A complete shutdown, which occurred on October 1, 2025, has reached the two-week mark on Tuesday, with Congress still failing to pass a funding bill. While U.S. military members will continue to receive pay from October 15, many other federal employees are going unpaid.
For instance, TSA workers have been single-handedly managing the responsibility of thousands of passengers flying across airports in the country despite not receiving their paychecks. While operations continue for now, unpaid labor is unsustainable. Industry experts warn that the exertion and sick leaves could soon lead to even more severe staffing shortages.
The agricultural sector has also suffered. Workers have not received their payments, and there’s chaos in the system, which usually ensures a smooth flow between the farmers and the consumers. This lack of support for the farmers will be concerning in the long term if the issue is not solved.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said Monday that the U.S. is “barreling toward one of the longest shutdowns” in history. The stark warning on the 13th day of the shutdown comes as effects are already starting to ripple across the country, with federal workers facing their first… pic.twitter.com/0SyGLwKwss
— PBS News (@NewsHour) October 13, 2025
In 2022, the agricultural and food sectors supported 22.1 million full- and part-time jobs, representing 10.4% of total U.S. employment. 19.6 million jobs were in agriculture- and food-related industries.
Donald Trump was silent after the shutdown, but in a late-night post via Truth Social, he accused the Democrats of pushing for extreme spending measures, including proposals to offer health care to undocumented immigrants. Democrats are reportedly also pushing to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits, which help make healthcare affordable for millions. Republicans, meanwhile, remain neutral on the issue.
As per The Irish Star, this is the first shutdown in six years. The last shutdown, from December 22, 2018, to January 25, 2019, was the longest in history, lasting 35 days. Then, the issues centered on building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
During that time, Republicans also blamed the Democrats via auto-reply messages that eventually sparked lawsuits from the American Federation of Government Employees.
In addition to Trump’s first term, the second-longest government shutdown lasted 21 days under President Bill Clinton from December 1995 to January 1996, followed by a 17-day shutdown under late President Jimmy Carter in 1978, according to NPR. (via The Huff Post).
Johnson also blamed the Democrats, saying they caused the shutdown by halting what he described as productive bipartisan negotiations.
“Before Democrats recklessly shut down the government, both parties were engaged in responsible, open negotiations on appropriations,”
Trump Admin Fires Entire Agency In One Swift Move Amid Schumer Shutdown: by Adam Pack at CDN –
The White House began conducting mass layoffs on Friday amid a prolonged government shutdown, including slashing an entire department under the U.S.… https://t.co/1BEgqjq58r pic.twitter.com/DCkJgJmHaD
— Conservative Daily News (@CDNPosts) October 11, 2025
“Republicans are ready to return to the table to finalize full-year appropriations and tackle the other important issues. But we won’t negotiate in smoke-filled back rooms, and we won’t negotiate as hostages,” he added.
Thousands of employees have been fired so far, keeping the agenda of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Its goal was to reduce federal spending by slashing jobs and canceling leases. At one point, over 800 lease cancellation notices were sent out, and people were asked to leave within 24 hours.
As if all that’s happening with immigration, gender laws, and tariffs weren’t enough, the shutdown fiasco has added to the matters. Meanwhile, Donald Trump recently stated he plans to fire “a lot” of “Democrat-oriented” federal workers in response to the government shutdown.
Therefore, as House Speaker Mike Johnson also backs up Trump’s image by being his most vocal supporter and repeating his views, the main issues in the shutdown remain unresolved.
