By Sam Barron | Friday, 07 November 2025 07:47 PM EST
In a letter addressed to House and Senate leadership, the National Governors Association demanded an end to the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The communication emphasized the growing strain on state and local governments as federal operations remain halted.
Bill McBride, executive director of the National Governors Association, stated, “On behalf of the nation’s state, territory, county, and municipal governments, we respectfully urge you to act swiftly in the national interest to resolve the ongoing federal shutdown which is rapidly becoming a crisis for the millions of Americans we represent.” The letter was sent to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
The document highlighted that state and local governments cannot afford to shut down, as they are obligated to maintain essential services. “Unlike the federal government, states and localities cannot shut down,” the letter read. “We must continue providing essential services to our constituents – and we rely on long-standing partnerships to fulfill those responsibilities.”
The Association warned that shifting federal responsibilities onto state and local governments during the shutdown is unsustainable due to a lack of resources and capacity. The letter also cited risks to economic stability, national security, disaster preparedness, food insecurity, infrastructure maintenance, and the federal court system.
“Due to the shutdown impasse, we are at risk in areas including economic stability, national security, disaster preparedness, food insecurity, infrastructure maintenance, the federal court system, and more,” the letter added. It warned that the impacts of the shutdown would persist for months even after its conclusion.
The National Governors Association called on Congress to initiate bipartisan negotiations to resolve the crisis. “On behalf of the millions of Americans we serve, we urge Congress to quickly enter bipartisan negotiations and resolve this shutdown.”
