Safety net programs are underfunded. Thousands of government employees continue to work without pay. And as the holiday season approaches, significant flight delays are increasing.
What would it take for lawmakers to reopen the government?
Millions of Americans face economic uncertainty as the government shuts down, leaving essential services stranded.
WASHINGTON – One month into the government shutdown, the effects of the crisis are reverberating painfully across the country, putting the lives of millions of Americans at risk.
Massive travel disruptions due to staffing shortages are the norm as air traffic controllers prepare for their sixth week of unpaid work. More than 60,000 preschool children may have their educational programs discontinued. Hundreds of thousands of federal employees remain out of work, and the jobs of thousands more remain in legal limbo.
The rapidly deteriorating situation appears to be rattling lawmakers on Capitol Hill, who are starting to take back-channel negotiations over a potential shutdown more seriously after weeks of deadlock. “There’s a lot more bipartisan conversation,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. “That’s good news.”
As flu season approaches, critical federal health data has also stalled. Federal courts are slowing down their work. Immigrants waiting for visa approval are being told to wait even longer.
And the situation is only going to get more dire. Approximately 42 million Americans will not receive additional food assistance during the first week of November. This is because funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is set to expire for the first time in history. Neither Congress nor the White House have come together on legislation or workarounds to save the government while it remains largely shut down.
However, no formal agreement has yet been reached to restart the government. And it is unlikely that Republicans, Democrats and President Donald Trump, who just returned from a week-long trip to Asia, will come together to reach an agreement in time to prevent further harm to Americans.
But for the first time since the government shutdown began on Oct. 1, lawmakers face major consequences if they don’t find a way to reopen government agencies quickly. “I always try to be optimistic,” said Sen. Gary Peters, Democrat of Michigan. “We still have work to do.”
Lawmakers wary of food stamp crisis, travel delays
Perhaps the biggest worry for lawmakers is the expiration of food assistance benefits.
Joel Berg, CEO of Hunger Free America, warned that the impending crisis would be “America’s biggest hunger catastrophe since the Great Depression.” The situation is so bleak that one tribal reservation in Montana that relies on SNAP has resorted to slaughtering its buffalo herds for food.
In recent days, Democrats and Republicans have been desperately trying to avoid defunding SNAP, introducing competing measures to protect the program from suspension. However, none of these efforts have received any real attention. Republican leaders in Congress have so far opposed even a standalone bill to fund SNAP to soften the blow of the ongoing crisis.
“The president deplores this,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) said Thursday, Oct. 30, “but the funding to do it doesn’t exist.”
Meanwhile, travel delays are becoming more serious. The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday, Oct. 29, ordered a ground stop at Newark Liberty International Airport, a major transportation hub, citing staffing issues. Last weekend, all flights to Los Angeles International Airport were temporarily suspended for similar reasons.
Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy met with aviation industry leaders at the White House on Thursday, October 30th. After the sit-in, Vance concluded that the shutdown was “causing too many problems.”
“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.
The confusion has also affected some members of Congress. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) told reporters that two flights have been evaded at the last minute in recent weeks. This never happened while she was a senator.
“I fly twice a week,” added Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). “I want air traffic controllers to be happy, well-fed and free from anxiety and nervousness.”
The atmosphere on Capitol Hill is changing.
Democrats’ main sticking point in the shutdown fight continues to center on what they characterize as the looming health care crisis.
Health insurance subsidies from the Affordable Care Act are set to expire at the end of the year, raising premiums for millions of Americans. At the leadership level, Republicans have promised Senate Democrats that they will vote on extending the aid if they help reopen the government first. Democrats have long argued that changing minds requires more than a solid vote with an uncertain outcome.
But as the shutdown drags on, some hope for a solution.
“We don’t just have to tell the people what the problem is. We have to solve it,” said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.. “That doesn’t mean you can’t change it tomorrow. There’s always room for compromise.”
Sen. John Hoeven (R-North Dakota) suggested a tipping point in the government shutdown could come as early as next week.
A lively debate among rank-and-file lawmakers could be the beginning of the end of the government shutdown, but some are skeptical the talks will yield anything concrete. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said a key variable is still missing: party leadership.
“Leaders need to talk and resolve this issue,” she said.
Zachary Schermele is a Congressional reporter for USA TODAY. You can email us at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and on Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social.
