President Trump Warns of Looming Government Shutdown: Key Dates, Services at Risk & How It Could Affect You

As the federal government barrels through Day 22 of its shutdown, President Donald Trump and congressional leaders remain dug in, extending the stalemate that has already become the second-longest funding lapse in U.S. history. Senate drama and the latest veto threat On Wednesday night, the Senate failed to advance a short-term spending bill after a 52-46 procedural vote fell eight votes short. Republicans were divided over whether to back Trump’s demand for emergency border security funds, while Democrats insisted on a “clean” continuing resolution that would reopen federal agencies through December 15. The White House immediately signaled that the president would veto any package that reached his desk without full funding for his border wall and new deportation initiatives. Trump: no meeting until government reopens—unless wall money included Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump repeated that “there’s nothing to negotiate until Democrats get serious about the border.” He rejected Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s request for an Oval Office sit-down, saying he will “meet when they’re ready to send a bill that protects Americans.” Democrats fired back that the president is “holding paychecks hostage” for 2.2 million federal workers. Effects across the country • Pay delays: Roughly 800,000 federal employees are either furloughed or working without pay; many will miss a second paycheck Friday. • Air travel: Absenteeism among TSA screeners has doubled, forcing intermittent terminal closures at Atlanta, Orlando, and Dallas airports. • Nutrition programs: The USDA warned that funding for WIC, which supports low-income mothers and infants, will lapse within a week. • National parks: Yosemite and Zion have closed entirely after a spike in trash, wildlife incidents, and safety complaints. • Economic drag: Goldman Sachs estimates the shutdown is shaving 0.2 percentage points from quarterly GDP for every week it continues. Public opinion shifts A Quinnipiac University poll released Tuesday shows 58 percent of voters blame Trump for the shutdown, while 35 percent blame Democrats. Independents side with Democrats by a 2-to-1 margin, and 62 percent want Congress to pass a stopgap bill first and negotiate border security later. What happens next? • House vote Thursday: Speaker Jeffries plans to put a “clean CR” on the floor that would fund the government through January 5. Moderate Republicans from swing districts say they will support the measure, but the bill’s prospects in the Senate remain uncertain. • Possible back pay bill: Bipartisan senators are drafting a guaranteed pay-protection bill for contractors, who historically have not been reimbursed when the government reopens. • Credit-rating watch: Fitch Ratings warned it could place U.S. sovereign debt on negative outlook if the shutdown lasts longer than 30 days. How long can the standoff last? The 2018-19 shutdown stretched 35 days; if this impasse extends beyond November 2, it will eclipse that record. Economists warn that the cumulative impact could chill holiday spending and complicate the Federal Reserve’s effort to guide the economy to a soft landing. Bottom line With Capitol Hill gridlocked and Trump refusing to retreat from his hard-line posture, federal workers, contractors, and ordinary Americans are bracing for a shutdown with no clear end date. Unless one side bends—or a bipartisan coalition forces a vote to override a presidential veto—national parks will stay dark, paychecks will remain frozen, and the political blame game will intensify heading into the 2026 midterms.