The Fallout From Democrats’ Government Shutdown Continues

Democrats’ Government Shutdown May Be Over, But Its Financial Toll and the Hardship It Caused Isn’t Going Away

THE SHUTDOWN CAUSED IMMENSE AND IRREVERSIBLE HARM TO FEDERAL WORKERS AND FAMILIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY

“Overall, there are about 2 million civilian government workers and 1.3 million active-duty members of the military.” (The Wall Street Journal: Federal Workers and Troops to Miss Paychecks Soon. Here’s What to Know. – 10/9/25)

Roughly 730,000 federal workers worked without pay during the shutdown while roughly 670,000 were furloughed, also without pay. (ABC News: Government shutdown impact: By the numbers – 11/13/25)

“Federal workers back on the clock Thursday will need to assess how to address more than six weeks of backlogs. Federal employees not deemed essential were furloughed throughout the shutdown.”
- For example: “It will take days to get labs used to test food and prevent food-borne illnesses at the Food and Drug Administration back to full capacity at the agency’s testing labs, said one worker at the agency’s Human Foods Program.” (CNN: The government shutdown is over, but things are not back to normal – 11/13/25)

“Within the National Guard, mandated regular drill sessions and trainings were canceled, denying guard members that extra pay and creating a compound effect that ‘erodes the readiness of our nation’s war-fighting reserve,’ retired Maj. Gen. Francis McGinn, president of the National Guard Association of the U.S., told reporters at a Nov. 10 briefing.” (The Hill: How the government shutdown hurt military personnel – 11/16/25)

$11 billion in “inflation-adjusted GDP [was] permanently lost in the government shutdown, according to a forecast issued by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) late last month, in anticipation of a six-week impasse.” (ABC News: Government shutdown impact: By the numbers – 11/13/25)

Roughly 60,000 workers outside the federal government were estimated to have lost their jobs “due to the economic effects of the shutdown, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, a White House advisor, said...” (ABC News: Government shutdown impact: By the numbers – 11/13/25)

The demand for food banks during the government shutdown will have a lasting impact on their ability to provide for people in need:
- “A half a dozen other food banks across the country told USA TODAY similar stories: They've carved massive holes in their budgets over the last six weeks as they tried to keep up with demand sparked by the federal government shutdown.”
- “The food banks said they expect to feel the impacts of the shutdown for months, even though the federal government reopened...”
- “Soon benefits will resume flowing to tens of millions of federal food assistance recipients and paychecks will arrive for hundreds of thousands of federal workers. But those people used up what reserves they had during the 43-day shutdown, said Linda Nageotte, president and COO of Feeding America, which provides millions of meals of food support to organizations across the country.” (USA Today: They fight hunger in America. The government shutdown left them reeling. – 11/15/25)

MILLIONS EXPERIENCED AIR TRAVEL DELAYS AND CANCELLATIONS, AND THOUGH THE SHUTDOWN HAS ENDED, IT EXACERBATED THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER STAFF SHORTAGE

“For many Americans, the turmoil in the airports became one of the most visible impacts of the 43-day shutdown.” (Politico: Trump administration ends flight cuts at busy airports – 11/16/25)

“Absences of air traffic controllers led to tens of thousands of flight cancellations and delays after October 1, when the shutdown began.” (Reuters: FAA to end mandated cuts in domestic US flights – 11/17/25)

The FAA will continue to be short-staffed: “Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said… that ‘15 to 20’ air traffic controllers are retiring daily amid the government shutdown.” (The Hill: Duffy: ’15 to 20' air traffic controllers retiring daily during shutdown – 11/9/25)

“The U.S. has been scrambling to hire more air traffic controllers for years. The longest-ever federal government shutdown might have made that even harder. ‘We need more of them to come into the profession, and this shutdown is going to make that more difficult for us to accomplish that goal,’ Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at a press conference at Chicago O’Hare International Airport on Tuesday, a day before Congress signed a bill to fund the federal government through January, ending the shutdown.” (CNBC: The government shutdown is over. The air traffic controller shortage is not – 11/15/25)

“A government tally last year showed the U.S. was short 3,903 fully certified air traffic controllers of a goal of 14,633.” (CNBC: The government shutdown is over. The air traffic controller shortage is not – 11/15/25)

“The shortage of air traffic controllers delayed or canceled thousands [of] flights during the shutdown, affecting the travel plans of more than 5 million people, according to Airlines for America.” (CNBC: The government shutdown is over. The air traffic controller shortage is not – 11/15/25)

DEMOCRATS ARE DEEPLY DIVIDED OVER FUNDING THE GOVERNMENT, AND IF MOST DEMOCRATS GOT THEIR WAY, THE LONGEST-EVER GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN WOULD’VE CONTINUED INDEFINITELY

“Democrats across the country are furious at their party for agreeing to reopen the federal government without key health care demands, and they’re taking it out largely on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).” (HuffPost: Knives Are Out For Chuck Schumer After Democrats Cave On Shutdown – 11/10/25)

“The backlash is a blow to the Democratic leader who spent weeks earlier this year under fire for a similar vote. During the March round of government funding, Schumer supported a continuing resolution to avert a shutdown altogether. And progressives were mad then, just as they are now.” (NOTUS: Schumer Didn’t Vote for the Government Funding Deal. He’s Under Fire Anyway. – 11/10/25)

“A number of outside groups have echoed the calls for Schumer to step down, however.” (NOTUS: Schumer Didn’t Vote for the Government Funding Deal. He’s Under Fire Anyway. – 11/10/25)

- “We see through that no vote and he has a responsibility as Democratic leadership of what the caucus does. We also know that Chuck Schumer is afraid of a primary and he believes that that no vote might save him from a primary. But we don’t believe that to be the case.” – Sunrise Movement Spokesperson Denae Ávila-Dickson
- “Chuck Schumer should step down as Senate Minority Leader immediately. If he secretly backed this surrender and voted 'no' to save face, he’s a liar. If he couldn’t keep his caucus in line, he's inept.” – Our Revolution Executive Director Joseph Geevarghese
- “Indivisible, another large progressive group, echoed that sentiment. Co-executive Director Leah Greenberg told NOTUS ‘as an individual senator, your vote is important,’ while ‘as the minority leader, outcomes are important.’” (NOTUS: Schumer Didn’t Vote for the Government Funding Deal. He’s Under Fire Anyway. – 11/10/25)

Progressives who voted to keep the government shuttered are in complete and utter disarray about their party’s leadership:
- “We asked Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) whether Schumer ‘had done a good job here.’ After a lengthy pause, Warren responded: ‘I think the American people want us to stand and fight for health care. Obviously, that’s not happening.’” (Punchbowl News: AM: The very bumpy end to the shutdown – 11/10/25)

- “Asked Dem Sen. Elizabeth Warren whether she believes Senate Democrats need new leadership. She replied: ‘I don’t have a comment on that.’” (The Wall Street Journal’s Olivia Beavers: post on X – 11/10/25)

- “[Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.)] said Democrats ‘can’t continue to be split like this’ and that Schumer ‘is gonna have to explain to us how we’re gonna run the caucus differently [and] how we’re gonna be more united.’” (Punchbowl News: AM: Rank and file tries to wrest power back – 11/17/25)

- “The Democratic party needs change. It is time for a new generation of leaders to stand up to Trump.” – Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.)
- “What’s clear is that the old way of doing business continues to fail America. Leadership is about changing and adapting when there is real need, and unless we hear that, we will fail to meet the moment.” – Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.)

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