The government shutdown is stretching into its second-longest period in U.S. history.

Frustration continues to mount among millions of Americans, and now, the country’s largest federal workers’ union is calling for an immediate end to the impasse.

AFGE Calls for Immediate Congressional Action

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which represents over 800,000 federal and Washington, D.C., government workers, issued a powerful statement Monday urging lawmakers to act.

“It’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today. No half measures, and no gamesmanship,” said Everett Kelley, the national president of AFGE, in a statement first shared with NBC News. “Put every single federal worker back on the job with full back pay — today.”

Kelley emphasized the toll the shutdown is taking on both government employees and the broader public, adding:

“It’s time for our leaders to start focusing on how to solve problems for the American people, rather than on who is going to get the blame for a shutdown that Americans dislike.”

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Congressional Stalemate Deepens

Despite growing pressure, lawmakers remain at a stalemate. The Senate is set to reconvene Monday after failing last week to advance a short-term funding bill that would have reopened the government until November 21. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives remains out of session.

Senate Republicans have struggled to pass a clean stopgap measure as Democrats hold firm on priorities related to health care — specifically, extending subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

The inability to reach a bipartisan agreement has left key federal operations and services frozen, with ripple effects reaching millions of Americans.

States Warn of Food Assistance Shortages

The prolonged government shutdown has sparked warnings from 47 states, which are notifying residents that they may not receive federal food assistance in November if the impasse continues.

In Virginia, Governor Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, declared a state of emergency last week, pledging to use surplus funds to ensure benefits for the 850,000 residents who depend on the program.

However, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) cautioned that states choosing to shoulder the costs themselves will not be reimbursed while the government remains closed.

Trump Blames Democrats for the Government Shutdown

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Japan, President Donald Trump placed the blame squarely on Democrats, pointing to their refusal to support a “clean” continuing resolution.

“The Democrats can solve that problem with air traffic control,” Trump said, referring to unpaid federal employees such as air traffic controllers. “All they have to do is say, ‘The country’s open.’ We only need five votes. The Republicans are with us.”

When asked how the government might pay air traffic controllers missing paychecks, Trump replied, “Yeah, there is,” though he did not elaborate.

Trump concluded, “I would imagine that gets taken care of — not only the controllers, but other people too.”

Mounting Pressure to End the Government Shutdown

As the shutdown drags on, pressure is intensifying from both public and private sectors. Unpaid federal workers, delayed benefits, and stalled public services have all fueled calls for swift resolution.

AFGE’s statement underscores growing frustration among those most directly affected — federal employees themselves — as lawmakers continue to clash over funding priorities.

For More Information:

Government shutdown updates: Largest federal workers’ union calls for end to shutdown

AFGE, largest federal workers' union, calls for end to shutdown, putting pressure on Democrats

AFGE | It’s Past Time to End This Shutdown