Airports experience flight delays and staff shortages during closure
Major airports are experiencing staffing shortages as TSA and air traffic controllers work without pay during the government shutdown.
- The federal government shutdown enters its fourth week as President Trump negotiates trade deals with Asia.
- Funding for food assistance programs SNAP and WIC is scheduled to end on November 1st due to the closure.
- Democrats and Republicans remain at an impasse over extending Affordable Care Act tax subsidies.
- Air travel has been disrupted, with thousands of flights delayed due to the absence of air traffic controllers.
The federal government shutdown enters its fourth week on Tuesday, Oct. 28, as President Donald Trump is in Asia for trade negotiations until later this week, but there is no sign of Congress moving to resolve the budget impasse by Saturday, Nov. 1, when funding for several key programs is expected to end.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced last week that funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides assistance to more than 40 million people, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, known as WIC, which serves more than 6 million people, including about 41% of all infants in the United States, will not be available until further notice due to closures.
The USDA also confirmed in a memo first reported by Axios that it would not use $5 billion in emergency funds to maintain the program during the shutdown, saying it was reserved for unforeseen circumstances such as natural disasters.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Monday, Oct. 27, that Republican leaders will discuss potential options for the soon-to-expire Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, since the current budget proposal does not extend tax benefits, according to The Hill.
The Senate is scheduled to convene at 3 p.m. ET, but is not scheduled to vote on any shutdown-related measures. The House of Representatives remains in session.
Is the federal government still closed?
Yes, the federal government has remained largely shut down since shortly after midnight on October 1st.
More than 700,000 federal employees have been furloughed, and about the same number are working without pay. Employees deemed essential to public safety, such as military personnel, law enforcement officers, Border Patrol agents, and air traffic controllers, are required to work regardless.
President Trump signed an executive order directing the Pentagon to keep active-duty military members paid despite the government shutdown, but this does not apply to all federal employees who are required to work.
What do Democrats and Republicans want from reopening the government?
Democrats want to secure tax breaks for the more than 24 million Americans who buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act, but have refused to support government spending bills that do not address the issue.
Senate Democrats want to make the tax cuts, which are set to expire at the end of the year, permanent and provide reassurance to prevent the Trump administration from temporarily withholding funds.
Republicans and the president have said they are open to considering fixes to the expiring ACA tax cuts, but want the issue to be addressed separately from the ongoing budget impasse.
What about Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid?
According to the Social Security Administration’s closure plan, the agency will continue issuing retirement and disability benefits, but will furlough 12% of its employees and suspend marketing campaigns.
Payments will continue under the Medicare and Medicaid health care programs as well.
Will American mail be delivered?
The USPS said in a statement that it is open because the U.S. Postal Service is not dependent on Congress for funding.
What about the airport?
More than 13,000 air traffic controllers and about 50,000 Transportation Security Administration employees will be required to report to work during the shutdown, and neither group is expected to be paid until Congress approves a budget.
The disruption to U.S. air travel deepened on Monday, with more than 5,600 flights delayed across the country as air traffic controllers were increasingly absent as the federal government shutdown continued.
The Trump administration warned of further flight disruptions as air traffic controllers will not receive their full pay for the first time on Tuesday, according to Reuters.
Will food assistance continue under SNAP and WIC?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the nation’s largest food assistance program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, known as WIC, posted a notice on its website on Friday, Oct. 24, saying federal food assistance will no longer be available on Nov. 1.
What does the military shutdown mean for the military?
Earlier this month, President Trump signed an executive order directing the Department of Defense to ensure active duty military personnel are paid despite the federal government shutdown.
However, about 55% of the Pentagon’s 740,000 military personnel have been furloughed, including employees in training, procurement and administrative support. Civilians in cybersecurity, medical care, weapons systems maintenance, intelligence and logistics are still working and are not included in President Trump’s order to pay active duty employees.
The National Guard, which President Trump deployed to American cities, must also remain active.
What about Homeland Security, Immigration and Border Protection officers?
Only 5% of the Department of Homeland Security’s 271,000 employees are furloughed, including those involved in research, planning, training and auditing.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that more than 70,000 sworn law enforcement officers across the department, including officers in Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Secret Service, the Transportation Security Administration, and other critical mission areas, will be paid for all hours worked during the shutdown.
Contributors: USA TODAY’s Zach Anderson, Melina Kahn, Rebecca Morin and Kathryn Palmer. and Reuters
