Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, October 14

The U.S. federal government shutdown entered its 13th day on the 13th. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stated that this round of shutdown has begun to impact the national economy. On the same day, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, predicted that the duration of this shutdown might become “the longest in history.”

This is a photo of the U.S. Capitol and traffic lights taken in Washington, D.C., the United States, on October 12. On October 12, the U.S. federal government shutdown entered its 12th day. Photo by Xinhua reporter Li Rui

The U.S. federal government shutdown is about to enter its third week. On the 13th, Yellen said in a program on the Fox Business Network, “The situation is getting worse,” and the government shutdown has begun to affect the real economy and people’s lives. She stated that to ensure the payment of military salaries, the federal government has had to suspend the wages of other federal employees and staff of service agencies, including those at museums and the National Zoo under the Smithsonian Institution.

The Smithsonian Institution announced on its website that dozens of its museums, research centers, and the National Zoo have all been closed since the 12th due to the government shutdown. According to the National Zoo’s website, the animals in the zoo “will continue to be fed and cared for,” but live animal webcams will be halted.

On October 12, the National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, D.C., the United States, was closed due to the federal government shutdown. Photo by Xinhua reporter Li Rui

The impact of the federal government shutdown continues to spread across the United States. U.S. media reported that a shortage of air traffic controllers has caused more flight delays. On the 12th, nearly 8,000 flights across the country were delayed, and more than 270 flights were canceled. The government shutdown has also affected the distribution of farm subsidies and small business loans. The delay in the release of federal government economic data has made it difficult for enterprises to formulate future plans.

The website of USA Today reported that the government shutdown has left the National Flood Insurance Program, which millions of Americans rely on, “on the verge of paralysis.” Many people cannot obtain federal flood insurance, making it impossible for them to secure home mortgages. Many homeowners may face up to two months or even longer of severe weather during the Atlantic hurricane season without flood insurance.

The Associated Press reported that if the shutdown lasts until the end of October, government employees, including thousands of House aides, will not receive their salaries.

At the same time, the U.S. Democratic and Republican parties still refuse to make concessions on core differences such as healthcare-related benefit expenditures. U.S. media pointed out that, at present, the prospect of reaching a compromise quickly is slim.

On the 13th, House Speaker Johnson continued to attribute the fiscal deadlock that triggered the shutdown to the Democrats and warned that the United States “is rapidly moving toward the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.” Johnson said that he “will not negotiate” until the Democrats back down on their demands regarding healthcare-related benefit expenditures and resume government operations.

On the 12th, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries attributed the responsibility to the Republicans’ intransigence, stating that the Democrats are willing to sit down and negotiate, but the Republicans still “do as they please.”

On October 10, U.S. President Donald Trump returned to the White House in Washington, D.C., the U.S. capital. On that day, the U.S. federal government shutdown entered its 10th day. Director of the Office of Management and Budget Shalanda Young announced on social media that federal government layoffs had begun. Photo by Xinhua reporter Hu Yousong

The most recent and longest U.S. federal government shutdown occurred from late 2018 to early 2019. At that time, Congress failed to pass a temporary appropriations bill that included funds for the U.S.-Mexico border wall, leading to a 35-day federal government shutdown.

Due to differences between the two parties, the U.S. Senate failed to pass a new temporary appropriations bill before the end of the previous fiscal year on September 30, and the funds to maintain the normal operation of the government were exhausted. Starting from October 1, the U.S. federal government shut down again after nearly seven years. On the 10th day of the shutdown, the White House announced the start of large-scale layoffs of federal employees. Trump stated that the layoffs would focus on “areas that tend to support the Democrats” and would affect “many people.”

The outside world generally believes that this is an extremely unusual large-scale layoff and a way for the Trump administration to seize the opportunity of the shutdown to downsize the government. On the 12th, Vice President Kamala Harris, in an interview on the Fox News Channel, stated that the longer the federal government shutdown lasts, the “greater” the intensity of layoffs in federal agencies will be. She said that some layoffs are “painful,” but they are caused by the Democrats.

The Democrats, in turn, accused the government of targeting federal employees, calling it both illegal and unnecessary. U.S. Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, a Democrat, said that there is no need for the federal government to “punish the people,” and they should not be treated this way. (Reporters: Lu Yu, Yang Ling, Xiong Maoling)