America’s government shutdown is its weirdest yet
It is oddly tolerable for Democrats and Republicans, at least for now
America’s government shutdown is now the second-longest on record. On October 22nd it overtook the 21-day shutdown of 1995-96, which turned government funding into the hostage-taking mechanism it is today. At the time Republicans, led by Newt Gingrich, produced a spending bill with deep cuts to social-welfare programmes that were anathema to President Bill Clinton. Mr Clinton refused to sign it. Late-night negotiations eventually yielded a compromise. “We ought to end this,” pleaded Bob Dole, the Republican Senate leader. “It has gotten to the point where it is a little ridiculous.”
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This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “Awkward silence”
From the October 25th 2025 edition
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Donald Trump has turned the war on drugs into a real war
And Congress needs to block the metaphor before it kills again
In the race for Virginia governor, Democrats see boring as a plus
Abigail Spanberger’s campaign has been strikingly substantive
America’s gerrymander war is heating up
Democrats’ hopes to regain power in Congress may turn on a vote in California on November 4th
How the Trump administration could make sensible rules for drones
Safety and innovation need to be balanced
A Supreme Court case could help entrench Republican power
The justices are weighing whether to gut the Voting Rights Act
Golf simulators and gyms are luring Americans back to the office
Landlords are using “amenity buildings” to appeal to remote workers
