CHICAGO — Today marks the end of the 43-day-long government shutdown, making it the longest and most expensive shutdown in U.S. history. The Republican-led shutdown was a direct assault on the livelihood of every American, including every Illinoisan.
This reckless shutdown was entirely engineered by the Trump administration and was prolonged by the incompetent Republican leadership in Congress, who selfishly disregarded pleas from their own constituents.
“Republicans canceled your flights, ripped away your SNAP benefits, and withheld your paychecks. Now, they’re going to rocket your healthcare costs, and kick millions off their healthcare, just to fund their trillion-dollar tax cut giveaway to the ultra-wealthy,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “While Trump and his puppets in Congress take their victory lap, I will keep fighting for all the Illinoisans who are furious; who just watched the President steal the money right out of their pockets, and hand it directly over to his rich buddies.”
The Aftermath
This shutdown deal is nothing but an empty promise that sells out the American people. By refusing to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies, Republicans have guaranteed higher health care costs for working families, and made essential coverage unaffordable for millions of people.
The Republican-led shutdown also forced air traffic controllers to work without pay. As a result, 4,500 flights were canceled, and 18,774 were delayed nationwide over the weekend, according to flight data tracking service Flight Aware. Both Midway and O’Hare were impacted. When Republicans play politics with our airspace, they put every American at risk.
Donald Trump has consistently proven he does not care about working families. His priorities are clear — he chose to give tax cuts to the rich, and he chose to let people starve. His administration denied nearly 2 million Illinoisans full benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Gov. Pritzker Takes Action
Despite this attack by Trump and his sycophants, Gov. Pritzker kept Illinois moving forward during the Republican-led shutdown:
- Directed $20 million to food banks: Gov. Pritzker signed Executive Order 2025-08 on October 30 which sent $20 million toward food banks to provide support during this funding reduction.
- Illinois sued the Trump administration to stop SNAP benefit cuts: The state of Illinois joined a lawsuit with 24 other states and Washington, D.C. to push the Trump administration to use contingency reserve funds to continue SNAP benefits during the government shutdown.
- Worked to expand access to affordable groceries: Despite the shutdown, Gov. Pritzker’s Grocery Initiative persisted in filling food deserts across the state through grants, helping to create newer, cheaper grocery options.
Governor Pritzker remains focused on helping Illinois families recover from this Republican-led disaster. His administration will continue doing what Washington refuses to do: protect access to affordable food, healthcare, and stable jobs.
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CONTACT: press@jbpritzkercampaign.com