Federal Shutdown Enters Fourth Week, Layoffs Add Up
As the federal government shutdown enters its fourth week, hundreds of thousands of employees across the country are facing growing financial hardship and new uncertainty following a wave of layoffs announced by the Trump administration.
The shutdown began on October 1 after Democrats rejected a short-term funding bill that excluded an extension of federal health insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act.
Donald Trump and Republican leaders have said the government must reopen before any negotiations on health subsidies can continue.
A photo of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., home to the United States Congress and seat of the legislative branch of government, serves as a reminder of the ongoing shutdown.