Federal Government Shutdown Ends After 40 Days—but At What Cost?

The recent agreement between Republican and Democratic senators to end the 40-day federal government shutdown marks a crucial inflection point for American governance — one that exposes deep fractures in Washington’s ability to prioritize national interests over political theater.How Did America End Up Paying the Price While Lawmakers Played Politics?Behind closed doors, Senators Angus King, Jeanne Shaheen, Maggie Hassan, and several Republicans reached a tentative accord to fund key departments such as Agriculture and Veterans Affairs until January 30. This agreement also promises to resume paychecks for approximately 650,000 federal workers who endured weeks without compensation.While this deal halts an...