The government shutdown has now reached 35 days, tying the 2018 record for the longest in U.S. history. While lawmakers remain at an impasse, millions of Americans are feeling the effects—from food assistance delays to rising health care costs.
Democrats and Republicans remain locked in a standoff over a spending bill to reopen the government. The Senate on Tuesday failed for the 14th time to advance a House-approved measure to fund the government through November 21, falling short of the 60 votes needed. The shutdown, which began October 1, is now the second longest in history.
At the heart of the debate is health care: Democrats insist on permanently extending enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits before agreeing to reopen the government. Republicans argue that the Senate should pass the spending measure first and then discuss the subsidies.
Despite the deadlock, bipartisan talks among rank-and-file senators offer a glimmer of hope that the shutdown could end soon, NBC News reported.
In other developments:
SNAP benefits partially restored amid legal pressure
The shutdown has disrupted the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the nation’s largest food assistance program, leaving 42 million Americans in limbo, and states and local food banks scrambling to meet their needs.
During previous shutdowns, the government has distributed funds for SNAP recipients, but this time around the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said it is legally unable to use a contingency fund to provide money for the food program.
Last week two federal judges ordered the Trump administration to tap into the contingency fund. On Monday the USDA said it would comply with a federal judge’s order, but could only pay half the costs and wouldn’t tap into Child Nutrition Program funds or other funds to provide full payment.
“Child Nutrition Program funds are not a contingency fund for SNAP,” wrote Patrick A. Penn, deputy under secretary of food, nutrition, and consumer services for the USDA, in a court filing. “Using billions of dollars from Child Nutrition for SNAP would leave an unprecedented gap in Child Nutrition funding that Congress has never had to fill with annual appropriations, and USDA cannot predict what Congress will do under these circumstances.
Instead, officials will use $4.65 billion from USDA’s contingency fund to pay half of the participants’ current allotments. There will be no funds available for new applicants. However, officials warned that it may take months for SNAP recipients to get relief because of delays in recalculating payments.
Meanwhile, a coalition led by the Rhode Island State Council of Churches is suing the USDA, claiming the partial payments are not enough, Stateline reports. The collation argues that if the partial payments create delays, the federal courts should force the administration to pay full benefits. A hearing on the issue is scheduled for Thursday.
Federal workers’ health insurance at risk
Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.) has raised concerns about the sustainability of the Federal Employees Health Benefits program if the shutdown continues.
In a letter to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Lankford asked how the Federal Employees Health Benefits program will continue since contributions to the trust fund have stalled.
“Despite many efforts to reopen the government and pay federal workers, vital agencies remain closed, employees’ paychecks continue to be withheld and now access to health care for every federal employee, and their families could be threatened,” he wrote.
Lankford has asked the OPM to clarify how long the fund can last and what legal options exist to protect workers’ coverage.
ACA premiums surge as subsidies face expiration
Open enrollment for ACA marketplace coverage began November 1, and consumers are experiencing sticker shock. Premiums are expected to rise by 26 percent on average in 2026, and those who previously relied on enhanced tax credits could see their monthly costs more than double, according to a KFF analysis.
Democrats are pushing to extend these subsidies, which were originally expanded during the pandemic.
A bipartisan group of House lawmakers say they may have found a way to temporarily extend the credits. House Representatives Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.), Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.), and Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) said they have produced a set of basic principles that focus on a temporary extension with reasonable income caps and reforms.
“Congress is gridlocked, and too many Americans have lost faith that we can work together,” they said in a statement. “But here’s the truth: Democrats and Republicans can sit down, listen to one another, and find common ground, especially when it comes to lowering health care costs.”
Their plan would allow for a two-year extension of the enhanced tax credits with income caps and fraud protection measures. They said the set of principles aims to restore public trust and lower health care costs through compromise.