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President Donald Trump has accused Democrats of being willing to damage the United States in pursuit of their political aims, as the ongoing government shutdown officially became the longest in the country’s history on Wednesday.
The closure has now surpassed the previous 35-day record, also set during Trump’s first term.
Federal services have been steadily grinding to a halt since Congress failed to pass new funding before the September 30 deadline.
The consequences have grown more severe, with millions relying on government food assistance programmes now facing deep uncertainty.
Around 1.4 million federal employees, from aviation safety staff to national park workers, are either furloughed or continuing their duties without pay.
Some courts have tapped into emergency reserves to keep functioning while warning that proceedings will slow if the shutdown continues.
Speaking to Republican senators at a White House breakfast after returning from a trip to Japan, the 79-year-old president delivered a scathing attack on his political rivals.
“I spoke about kamikaze pilots,” Trump said. “These people are kamikaze. They will take the country down if they must.”
Ahead of the record being broken, the administration issued stark warnings of escalating disruption across the nation’s airports.
Growing staff shortages could force the closure of airspace and trigger widespread flight cancellations in the coming weeks.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that flight capacity would be reduced by 10 per cent from Friday across 40 of the busiest air traffic zones.
With more than 60,000 air traffic controllers and security officers currently working unpaid, delays and long queues are likely to worsen as absenteeism increases — a factor that contributed to the end of the 2019 shutdown.
At the heart of the standoff is a dispute over healthcare funding.
Democrats insist they will only support reopening the government once there is agreement to extend subsidies designed to keep medical coverage affordable for millions of families.
Republicans argue these issues should be dealt with after federal agencies are funded again.
Despite entrenched positions at the top, some lawmakers on both sides have explored potential solutions. A small bipartisan group in the House this week unveiled a proposal aimed at reducing insurance costs, though there is no sign yet of a breakthrough.
Democrats believe mounting frustration over rising insurance premiums during enrolment season will eventually force Republicans back to the negotiating table. Trump, however, says he will not yield, telling CBS News he refuses to be “extorted”.
The president has heightened tensions by threatening to cut off the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which supports 42 million Americans with food purchases.
Although courts have blocked the move, the White House has insisted it is complying with legal requirements and working to distribute partial payments wherever possible.
