The 2025 federal government shutdown was the longest in history, lasting 43 days and surpassing the 2018-19 shutdown’s 35 days, according to the U.S. House of Representatives Archives..
The government’s funding was frozen due to a disagreement over extending subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, according to the National Network for Youth. Democrats wanted to extend these subsidies, but Republicans wanted to allocate funds elsewhere.
Because Congress couldn’t agree on 2026 funding in time, the government shut down, according to the National Network for Youth.
If the subsidies aren’t extended, millions of people’s healthcare premiums will double or triple in price, according to the Friends Committee of National Legislation.
The reopening of the government didn’t go the way a lot of democrats would have preferred, Chair of the College Democrats of UW-Madison Ty Schanhofer said. The shutdown’s conclusion was disappointing for Democrats, particularly the lack of improvements to the healthcare subsidies that sparked the shutdown, according to Schanofer.
“I think I speak for most young people and College Democrats when I say that we wanted to continue this fight,” Schanofer said. “To continue this fight for Americans to have more affordable healthcare, and to keep these Affordable Care Act subsidies from lapsing.”
Throughout the shutdown, the White House publicly placed blame on Democrats, labeling the government funding lapse as the “Democrat Shutdown,” according to the White House’s website.
Republicans hold a majority in the Senate, the House of Representatives and in the presidency, meaning they hold the political power to end the shutdown amicably, Schanhofer said.
“To say that Democrats are controlling the levers of power right now at this point in the country, I think that’s not true, and I think most Americans would agree with that,” Schanhofer said.
House Republicans were not present on Capitol Hill, and took vacations lasting between six and eight weeks when the shutdown was ongoing instead of working toward a solution that benefits both parties, according to Schanhofer.
The way the government reopened was a missed opportunity for Democrats to work through healthcare problems, and collaborative problem-solving with Democrats doesn’t seem to be something Republicans are interested in, Schanhofer said.
“I think a lot of people remember during the presidential debates last summer when Trump claimed that he had concepts of a plan about healthcare,” Schanhofer said. “I think it’s a very true thing for him to say, he doesn’t have a plan, I don’t even think he has concepts of a plan.”
Of the six Democrats who joined Republicans in signing the bill to refund the government, none were representatives of Wisconsin. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin, released a statement affirming her position on keeping healthcare costs low, and stated her proposal of reopening the government while negotiating healthcare costs and said Republicans were not available to sit and discuss an amicable solution.
“While we are disappointed in those Democratic senators that caved, we are really proud of our Wisconsin representatives for holding the line and fighting for healthcare solutions,” Schanhofer said.
