Pressure builds on Congress to end the shutdown, but a quick breakthrough appears unlikely

1 / 4

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., wraps up a news conference on day 27 of the government shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

WASHINGTON – The pressure to end the second-longest federal government shutdown is gaining new urgency this week as millions of Americans face the prospect of losing food assistance, more federal workers miss their first full paycheck and recurring delays at airports snarl travel plans.

The building strain on lawmakers to end the impasse was magnified by the nation's largest federal employee union, which called on Congress to immediately pass a funding bill and ensure workers receive full pay. Everett Kelley, president of the America