WASHINGTON − The government shutdown enters Day 17 with no end in sight, as concerns grow about federal workers including the military missing paychecks and as benefits such as food assistance run out.
The Pentagon shifted funding to meet the Oct. 15 payday for active-duty troops but payments are uncertain for Oct. 31, sparking concerns about how to make ends meet. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which 42 million people acros the country rely upon, will fail to pay full benefits in November if the shutdown continues.
No relief is visible on the horizon. The next Senate vote is scheduled for Oct. 20. By that point, the shutdown would become the third-longest in history, surpassing the 19-day lapse in funding in 1978 under President Jimmy Carter. The longest shutdown was 35 days in 2018 and 2019 during President Donald Trump’s first term.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture warned that there will not be enough funding to pay the entirety of SNAP benefits for November if the shutdown doesn't end."If the current lapse in appropriations continues, there will be insufficient funds to pay full November SNAP benefits for approximately 42 million individuals across the Nation," reads a letter to state agencies dated Oct. 10.
