Topline
Millions of Americans will not receive food stamp benefits Saturday as a result of the government shutdown, the Trump administration warns, as impacts threaten to soon hit many more Americans and potentially ramp up pressure on lawmakers to reach a deal to end the standoff.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks during a press conference at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, October 29, 2025. (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
Timeline
More federal workers are expected to miss their first full paychecks, after the first batch of federal workers were not paid Friday and air traffic controllers missed their first full paychecks Tuesday.
Military members are scheduled to receive paychecks, though it’s unclear if they will: House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Monday “we’re not 100% sure,” while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CBS on Sunday, “I think we’ll be able to pay them beginning in November.”
The Defense Department previously shifted $8 billion in research and development funds to pay military in mid-October, but the money is not enough to cover the Oct. 31 paychecks.
Affordable Care Act open enrollment begins, and premiums will increase by an average of 30% if they are not extended—one of Democrats’ demands for voting to reopen the government.
Nearly 42 million people enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will not receive food stamps, the Department of Agriculture says in a notice on its website, writing “bottom line, the well has run dry,” pressuring Democrats to vote for the government funding bill and calling the date “an inflection point for Senate Democrats.”
The shutdown will become the longest in history, beating a 35-day record set in 2018-19 during Trump’s first term.
Military members would not receive their scheduled paychecks, Bessent told CBS on Sunday, warning “by Nov. 15 our troops and service members who are willing to risk their lives aren’t going to be able to get paid.”
Thanksgiving Day. The days leading up to and after the holiday are among the busiest travel days of the year. The shutdown has already prompted flight delays as airport staffers who are working without pay, such as Transportation Security Administration workers and air traffic controllers, have called in sick. During the previous government shutdown in Trump’s first term, airport staffing shortages that led to flight delays were widely viewed to be a key factor in Trump’s decision to end the shutdown. Amtrak rail travel is unlikely to be affected by the shutdown, according to the Rail Passengers Association, since Amtrak has enough cash on hand to continue operating normally. Amtrak infrastructure projects could be affected by any pause in federal funding from the Department of Transportation if the shutdown drags on, however.
Who’s Been Affected By The Government Shutdown So Far?
About half of the federal workforce. Some 670,000 employees were furloughed when the government shut down on Oct. 1, while another 730,000 “essential” employees, such as law enforcement and military, are working without pay. Lawmakers, Supreme Court justices and federal judges still receive paychecks. Government employees who are not paid during the shutdown typically receive back pay when the government reopens, though the Trump administration has said it’s considering ways to avoid issuing the retroactive pay. The House is out of session during the shutdown and Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said it will not return until the Senate breaks its impasse.
How Are States Seeking To Maintain Snap Benefits?
Twenty-five states, plus Washington, D.C., sued the Trump administration Tuesday to prevent food stamps from being withheld Saturday, arguing the Department of Agriculture is obligated to use emergency funding to provide the benefits. The agency said last week it would not use the reserve funding, arguing it’s not “legally available” to cover funding lapses during a shutdown, and instead is for purposes such as disasters. Lawmakers and political leaders in several states are also making plans to at least partially fill the gap for SNAP funding after federal funds are cut off. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has endorsed a $150 million plan to cover SNAP funding for some recipients in early November, while Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has declared a state of emergency and created a new state program intended to maintain benefits and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced $30 million in emergency funding will go toward food assistance. California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office has said it will be “fast-tracking” $80 million in state funds toward food banks, and the governor will also be deploying the National Guard to assist food banks. The USDA has warned states they will not be reimbursed for providing funding to cover food stamps during the shutdown.
Big Number
52%. That’s the share of Americans who said the government shutdown has had no impact on their lives, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll taken Oct. 24-26.
Key Background
The Senate voted for a 13th time Tuesday to reject a Republican-backed “clean” spending plan that would reopen the government. Democrats are refusing to support the short-term budget without assurances that Affordable Care Act tax credits, set to expire after the end of the year, will be extended and Medicaid cuts will be reversed. The Senate needs at least seven Democrats to vote in favor of the bill to break the 60-vote filibuster threshold, assuming all Republicans approve the legislation. Trump and his allies have repeatedly blamed Democrats for the shutdown, and many federal agencies have posted notices to their websites attributing a potential lapse in government services to Democrats’ refusal to vote for the Republican spending plan. Trump himself has been largely removed from shutdown negotiations, and he’s made clear he plans to punish Democrats for the shutdown by permanently cutting programs and agencies that align with their priorities, though a federal judge on Tuesday indefinitely blocked the Trump administration from making layoffs during the shutdown.
Further Reading
States Sue Trump Administration To Keep Food Stamps Amid Government Shutdown (Forbes)
Trump ‘Friend’ Donates $130 Million To Help Pay Military During Shutdown (Forbes)
Government Shutdown: Federal Employees Miss First Full Paycheck (Forbes)
