WBUR Podcasts, Boston.

This is On Point.

I'm Megna Chakrabardi, and it's Wednesday, October 22nd, which also happens to be day 22 of the latest U.S. government shutdown.

Three weeks since the Democrats have decided to close the entire federal government.

I mentioned yesterday when we were gathered that this is now the longest full shutdown in American history.

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson there.

This also happens to be the second longest government shutdown overall. The government

was partially closed for 35 days in the 2018 shutdown. Back then, the impasse was over funding for the

southern border wall. This time, it's over health care, specifically cuts to Medicaid in the

Republican-sponsored and passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

There's also the issue of enhanced subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, which are set to expire on January 1st, 2026.

There is no appetite among Republicans to extend the subsidies, meaning millions of Americans could see their health care premiums more

than double next year. Democrats have decided that's worth keeping the entirement government

shut down for until Congress takes a vote on health care. Here's House Minority Leader Hakeem

Jeffries. Republicans have shown zero interest in reopening the government and acting a bipartisan

spending agreement that actually is designed to make life better for the American people

and address the health care crisis that Republicans have created.

I mean, the political cartoon almost draws itself, right?

Giant caricatures of Democrats and Republicans pointing the finger at each other and trapped in the middle between those two pointed fingers.

The tired, squeezed, and confused rag doll body of you, the average American.

Meanwhile, around 1.4 million federal employees are on unpaid leave, or they are

still working without pay. And many government services are indeed suspended or severely limited,

...