Another shutdown, another clown show in Congress

The phrase “government shutdown” might sound dramatic, or even terrifying. But in the past, it has usually appeared in the form of hyperbolic soundbites from politicians and an outraged media looking on in despair. But in reality, outside of the Washington, D.C. bubble, it’s often too easy for most Americans to miss that a government shutdown is even happening. After all, the government was shut down from early October to mid-November last year, the longest shutdown in history, and America hardly seemed to notice.

Then there’s the realm of “partial shutdowns” as Congress nitpicks over funding certain policies or departments. The latest example is the descent of Congress into a state of paralysis over the Department of Homeland Security. This “partial shutdown” has lasted for more than five weeks, with ICE supposedly forming an impassable roadblock. But with ICE essentially funded through the One Big Beautiful Bill, a different throbbing symptom