The Senate needs to work this out, Hasett says on shutdown

[Director Of The National Economic Council Kevin Hassett Speaks To The Press At The White House]
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images News

The federal government shutdown is likely to end "sometime this week," National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said on Monday in a televised interview.

He gave little information as to who is negotiating with whom on how to resolve the standoff. "Everyone is talking to everyone," he said in an interview on CNBC, adding that the White House has been speaking with senators every day. Large swaths of the government have been shut for 20 days, and many essential federal workers who are on the job are not getting paid.

"The President believes that the Senate needs to work this out," he said. [https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/20/trump-hassett-government-shutdown.html] However, the White House will consider stronger measures to bring Democrats to the table if the Senate doesn't make any progress, he added.

Equity futures perked up. Nasdaq futures rose 0.5%, S&P 500 futures increased 0.4%, and Dow futures added 0.3%. The S&P Volatility Index (VIX [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/VIX]) dipped 2.7%.

DEAR READERS: We recognize that politics often intersects with the financial news of the day, so we invite you to click here to join the separate political discussion. [https://seekingalpha.com/article/4827363-politics-and-the-markets-102025]

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