Government shutdown could be the longest ever, Speaker Johnson warns

Republican Speaker Mike Johnson predicted Monday the federal government shutdown may become the longest in history, saying he “won't negotiate” with Democrats until they hit pause on their health care demands and reopen. Vice President JD Vance has warned of “painful” cuts ahead, even as employee unions sue. The closure has halted routine government operations, shuttered Smithsonian museums and other landmark cultural institutions and left airports scrambling with flight disruptions, all injecting more uncertainty into an already precarious economy.