The government shutdown caused a lot of pain for Americans

Nobody seems to have gotten everything they wanted out of the longest shutdown in U.S. history. Not the Democrats. Not the Republicans. And definitely not the American people whose healthcare premiums are set to dramatically rise in 2026, whose SNAP benefits aren't yet fully funded and whose air travel has been greatly disrupted. Was it worth it? USA TODAY Congress reporter Zach Schermele joins The Excerpt to talk through the fallout.

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Episode transcript available here. 

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