Today Marks the Longest Government Shutdown in American History

<p>Today officially marks the longest government shutdown in American history, a painful new record caused entirely by Senate Democrats’ refusal to fund the government unless they get their way on radical and partisan demands.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In Utah and across the country, Americans are feeling the consequences:</p>

<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://x.com/RepBurgessOwens/status/1983176174714134703">Families, including 86,000 households in Utah</a>, can’t access the SNAP benefits they rely on to feed their children.</li>

<li><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/business/travel/federal-employees-manning-skies-miss-first-paycheck-government-shutdow-rcna240251">TSA agents and air traffic controllers</a> are being forced to work without pay.</li>

<li>Our <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/government-shutdown-military-missed-paycheck/">troops and their families</a> don&#8217;t know when the next paycheck will come. </li>

<li><a href="https://www.sba.gov/article/2025/10/21/sba-releases-state-level-analysis-shutdown-impact-small-business-lending">Small businesses</a> have been cut off from critical SBA loans.</li>

<li>And over the weekend, <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/11/thank-a-democrat-for-five-hour-tsa-lines-mass-flight-delays/">travelers</a> experienced thousands of flight delays, with security wait times stretching past five hours in some airports.</li>
</ul>

<p>All of this pain, and Democrats are still refusing to vote for a clean, nonpartisan CR &#8211; the same one they <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/13-times-democrats-voted-short-term-continuing-resolution-under-biden">supported 13 times under the Biden administration</a>.</p>

<p>Even with President Trump stepping in to do everything he can to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/trump-administration-military-members-will-get-paid-friday-shutdown-rcna241031">protect military pay</a> and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/trump-administration-injects-more-temporary-funding-child-nutrition-program-2025-11-03/">extend temporary funding for WIC and SNAP</a>, those stopgap funds are now running out.</p>

<p>The facts are clear:</p>

<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Over <a href="https://www.ttnews.com/articles/cbo-shutdown-cost-1025">$18 billion</a> has already been lost from the U.S. economy.</li>

<li>The travel industry has lost more than <a href="https://www.travelweekly.com/North-America-Travel/Travel-industry-calls-for-shutdown-end-before-Thanksgiving">$4 billion</a>, and nearly <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/travel-industry-sounds-alarm-over-government-shutdown-4b3dbdac?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqcAlS703W9RPLdMF3PaT1-h3av0EaIM61mTnDKQSe5WUs_7cLLCC36ABox_JDY%3D&amp;gaa_ts=690b947f&amp;gaa_sig=X57SayAvv8SygtYqybVIOW9BgiHLCDQMob6ue0UzeqVux7mpM3qdkjr2BjZs_aEtAI0nFkNRKaTRznjL1iQ63w%3D%3D">500 travel organizations</a> have signed onto a letter urging Democrats to pass the clean CR.</li>

<li><a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/largest-us-airlines-raise-pressure-dems-pass-clean-cr-end-shutdown">United, Delta, American, and Southwest, along with major pilot unions</a>, have all endorsed the Republican plan to reopen the government.</li>

<li>More than <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/flight-delays-pile-government-shutdown-enters-second-month-rcna241569">5,000 flights were delayed on Sunday</a> alone due to air traffic controller staffing shortages.</li>
</ul>

<p>The Democrat Shutdown hits every family, worker, and traveler in Utah&#8217;s Fourth District and across the country.</p>

<p>I <a href="https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025/09/house-approves-stopgap-funding-bill-putting-shutdown-ball-in-the-senates-court-00572968">voted for and helped pass</a> a clean, nonpartisan CR to fund the government on September 16. Senate Democrats have <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/schumer-pushes-shutdown-record-books-after-rejecting-gop-bill-14th-time">blocked it 14 times</a>. </p>
<p>The post <a href="https://owens.house.gov/posts/today-marks-the-longest-government-shutdown-in-american-history">Today Marks the Longest Government Shutdown in American History</a> appeared first on <a href="https://owens.house.gov">Burgess Owens</a>.</p>