The senators are out of office over the weekend as the government shutdown enters its 31st day and millions of low-income Americans worry about whether they will be able to afford food in the coming days.
What are the benefits of SNAP and what happens during a shutdown?
SNAP helps 41.7 million Americans put food on the table, but benefits could stop starting Nov. 1 due to the government shutdown.
WASHINGTON – The government shutdown has been in effect for a month, and its effects are growing more severe by the day, but the lights are still not likely to turn on by the end of the week.
Lawmakers are not expected to vote on the bill until next week, making the government shutdown likely to be the longest in U.S. history.
Lawmakers have been at a stalemate over spending in recent weeks. There have been signs in recent days that rank-and-file lawmakers may be moving closer to a compromise, but the details of a potential withdrawal remain unclear.
But what is becoming more apparent is the severe pain the shutdown is inflicting on millions of Americans, including families worried about losing food aid.
“Donald Trump is using hunger as a weapon,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
Flight disruptions have also worsened, with even senators having trouble leaving the capital on Thursday amid ground stops at local airports. The same day, Vice President J.D. Vance said concerns were rife among a group of airline industry leaders he convened at the White House.
“Everyone here is very concerned that there will be further delays and further stress on the people who are actually keeping the aviation system running,” he said. “Please stop this madness and open the government.”
Key moments in the health care subsidy fight
Democrats have been pushing for an extension of health insurance subsidies to be included in the government reopening bill. The cost of not doing so could soon hit many Americans.
General enrollment for all Affordable Care Act health plans begins Saturday, November 1st.
KFF’s analysis estimates that monthly health insurance premiums for the 24 million people enrolled in ACA plans would more than double on average to $1,904 in 2026 if subsidies were allowed to expire at the end of the year.
-Zack Anderson
The Senate is not scheduled to vote Friday on the temporary funding bill to restart the government that the House has already passed.
The House has not held a vote since the shutdown began. Members of the chamber have been given a 48-hour notice to return.
Vice President J.D. Vance and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that the situation at airports could become “disastrous” if the government shutdown continues ahead of Thanksgiving, which typically sees a surge in travellers.
About 64,000 Transportation Security Administration employees and 13,000 air traffic controllers, considered “essential” workers, are working without pay during the shutdown.
– Joey Garrison
If you have Medicare or Medicaid, you should still be able to see a doctor.
The agency added that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services continues to operate during the closure and will have Medicaid funding available through the end of this year.
However, as the shutdown drags on, other issues may surface.
Experts have warned that doctors, hospitals and other health care providers could face delays in Medicare and Medicaid payments depending on how long the shutdown lasts.
– rebecca morin
Mayors across the country are asking U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins to prevent interruptions to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides food to 42 million low-income people and is scheduled to run out of funding on November 1.
“Destroying SNAP means America’s children will go hungry,” said Quinton Lucas, the mayor of Kansas City, Missouri. “Families will miss out on meals, food stocks will reach breaking point, and local communities will bear the burden of Washington’s paralysis. Once again, we will fail the American people.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said 60,000 residents rely on SNAP benefits to “put food on the table and make ends meet.”
“Cutting or limiting this critical support doesn’t just harm individuals, it harms entire communities,” Frey said.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors asked Rollins in an Oct. 23 letter to prevent the funding from expiring.
“The anticipated disruption to SNAP would not only increase poverty, but also undermine the city’s continued efforts to promote food security, improve public health, and support the local economy,” wrote Tom Cochran, executive director of the conference, and Matt Turk, mayor of Allentown, Pennsylvania.
– Bert Jansen
