As of the writing of this petition on October 16, 2025, the U.S. federal government has entered its 16th day of being shutdown, making it
one of the longest U.S. government shutdowns in history. This is also Donald Trump's fifth government shutdown as president. There have only been 13 federal shutdowns in U.S. history.
During this time, many federal workers are
still required to come in to work, even though they're not getting paid. And even worse: Trump is now threatening that after the shutdown ends, his administration might not even provide them with backpay.
Sign the petition to demand that Republicans end the shutdown by protecting Americans' access to affordable healthcare and tax credits! They must also ensure payment for government employees who have been required to work for free!The shutdown is primarily because of disagreements over whether or not to ensure that Americans can
afford their healthcare coverage - with Republicans refusing to continue authorizing tax credits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Right now, around
24 million people in the U.S. are enrolled in healthcare through ACA marketplaces, and
approximately 93% of these people are benefiting from these subsidies to help pay for their insurance.
Yet Republicans - who control both chambers of Congress - are
so determined to turn their backs on average, everyday workers that they'd rather shut down the government than extend these tax credits. In the process, they're also
hurting everyday people in yet another way - which is through forcing federal employees to work without pay. Requiring them come into work also means they
can't even earn money for their families elsewhere by working different jobs instead.
As a result, some employees are simply refusing to comply with these requirements and are walking off the job. That includes at
major airports across the country, where some of the most crucial, life-saving jobs are now sitting vacant - including air-traffic controllers. At Burbank Airport in California recently, all air traffic controllers left the premises for around 6 hours,
leaving the tarmacs without any on-site supervision. Pilots had to rely on remote assistance from teams in San Diego in order to fly or land planes.
The Trump administration may also be
breaking the law with the way it is communicating about the shutdown. Under its influence, federal agencies have been engaging in
overtly partisan messaging by blaming Democrats for the shutdown on websites, in emails, in suggestions for workers' out-of-office messages, and more.
This may violate at least two different laws. The Hatch Act limits the ways federal employees may engage in political activities, and the Anti-Lobbying Act bans the government from using appropriated funds to lobby for or against legislation that's before Congress.
Sign the petition to demand that Republicans in Congress come to their senses! They must ensure full pay for all essential employees who have been required to work without pay, and end the shutdown by agreeing to fund ACA healthcare access! The American people deserve better.