From October 1 to November 12, 2025, the United States government shut down.
What does that actually mean? In theory, it’s simple. Congress must pass what are called appropriations bills in order to fund government agencies. These bills pay our military servicemembers and air traffic controllers, and they provide Americans with the services we pay for with our taxes. When Congress can’t agree on federal funding levels and refuses to compromise, the government shuts down.
All the while, the rich get richer. Business for some went on as usual during the 2025 shutdown, with the government bailing out Argentina’s economy to the tune of billions of dollars.
There is no reason for members of Congress, no matter their political party, to close the government. That was especially true for the 2025 shutdown, which primarily came down to one simple, common-sense issue: the cost of health care. During negotiations in the weeks before the shutdown, the expiration of Affordable Care Act tax credits became the main sticking point. The credits expire January 1, 2026, leading to an increase in the cost of health care for millions of Americans; when open enrollment began November 1, 2025, many families saw health care premiums double. (Note: Information in this article is current as of December 1, 2025.) Refusing to extend this lifeline to families who are working hard and still can’t afford necessities is a dark moment in American politics.
Union allies in Congress fought hard to extend the tax credits, but congressional leadership refused to include extension of those credits in any bill to keep the government open. Here’s how this affects SMART members: Faced with less funding, insurance companies would shift costs to high-quality plans like the ones SMART members enjoy. Expenses would rise for 179 million Americans who rely on job-based insurance, and American families could see their costs rise by as much as $2,000 a year.
But rather than stick up for SMART members and working Americans, Congress refused to make a deal. The result: a 43-day government shutdown, with health care tax credits still set to expire at the time of writing.
And who pays the price during a shutdown? Not members of Congress; they continue to get paid. Working people — including law enforcement and air traffic controllers — have to work without pay. Others get furloughed. While not completely closed, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) did not process new Violation Reports during the 2025 shutdown, putting the safety of both the public and rail workers at risk.
And in the middle of this particular shutdown, the federal government made things worse by canceling billions of dollars’ worth of funding for construction projects. The Department of Energy alone cut $7.56 billion from 223 clean energy projects, including the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub and California’s ARCHES Hub — projects that would have created more than 138,000 construction jobs under project labor agreements.
“Working people should not pay the price for dysfunction in Washington,” said SMART General President Michael Coleman at the time. “Our industries and our nation cannot operate under this kind of chaos.”
To recap: While the government was shut down and essential law enforcement and air traffic employees worked without pay, federal agencies canceled funding for job-creating construction projects. While the government scrambled to find funding to pay military servicemembers and provide food stamps to people at home, the Treasury Department helped facilitate around $40 billion in aid to Argentina.
That’s not a government working for the people.