As the federal government shutdown stretches into its 36th day, it has become the longest in American history, driven by a deadlock over healthcare funding and wider budget priorities. The ongoing impasse is stretching households, federal staff and public services thin.

Some 600,000 federal employees remain on the job without pay while roughly 650,000 others are furloughed. The Education Department's Office of Federal Student Aid has sent about 85% of its workforce home, creating worries that FAFSA processing will slow during a crucial college application period. Tax refunds, product approvals and a range of routine services are also being postponed.

Air travel is experiencing growing disruption as the Federal Aviation Administration grapples with holes in its roster. With air traffic controllers and other FAA staff taking unscheduled leave while working unpaid, passengers at major airports are seeing mounting delays and cancellations just weeks before the busy Thanksgiving travel window.

Public health surveillance has been hit as well. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has paused its FluView dashboard, producing gaps in weekly tracking of influenza, COVID-19 and RSV, and the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report has been suspended—removing a key resource epidemiologists rely on.

Economists warn the shutdown could leave a measurable mark on the economy. The Congressional Budget Office says if the stoppage persists for eight weeks it could trim U.S. GDP growth by as much as two percentage points in the fourth quarter, costing billions in lost output.

Food aid is also affected: only half of November's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits are set to go out to about 42 million people because contingency funds are limited. Officials caution that fixing benefit calculations may take weeks or even months.

The political stalemate has held despite recent Democratic wins in New Jersey, Virginia and New York City. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has urged a united demand for a complete reopening, while House Speaker Mike Johnson says Republicans have repeatedly offered funding solutions and accuses Democrats of blocking them.

Analysts say breaking the impasse may require intense voter pressure, a procedural shift in Congress or an unexpected bipartisan deal. President Donald Trump has publicly urged Senate Republicans to pursue the so‑called "nuclear option" to override the filibuster and push a funding bill through, but Senate leaders say the idea lacks enough support.

For now, millions of Americans weigh mounting uncertainty over essential services, financial stability and public safety, and experts expect the consequences to echo into the months ahead.