The U.S. government shutdown continues, with Republican and Democrat lawmakers in Congress no closer to ending their budget standoff. Currently, Republicans control both chambers of Congress.
Democrats are pushing for tax credits that would make health insurance more affordable for millions of Americans and are also seeking a reversal of President Trump’s cuts to Medicaid, a government healthcare program used by millions of elderly, disabled, and low-income individuals. Republicans have stated that they want to negotiate healthcare insurance subsidies separately and only pass what they refer to as a “clean resolution.”
Ending the shutdown requires both parties in the Senate to find a compromise that President Trump will sign.
Not all government functions stop during a shutdown; services deemed essential continue as usual, but most staff are not paid until the government reopens.
Border protection and law enforcement staff, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, as well as hospital medical care workers, are expected to operate normally.
U.S. troops were on track to miss their paychecks in mid-October until the Trump administration found funding to pay them. However, Speaker Mike Johnson warned that this is only a temporary solution, and future payments may not be made.
Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, has also run out. The 41 million people enrolled in the program will stop receiving aid on November 1st unless the shutdown ends or Congress intervenes. Social Security and Medicare checks are still being distributed, although benefit verification and cards may be interrupted.
Services like federal mail are still being delivered, and post offices are open because the U.S. Post Office does not rely on Congress for funding. Members of Congress are still receiving their salaries.
Regarding SNAP benefits, Americans may risk missing their November payments, with 1.9 million individuals in Illinois at potential risk, according to statistics from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the Illinois Department of Human Services. Over 3,700 individuals in Massac County will lose their SNAP benefits starting tomorrow, November 1st.
There is a large multi-year contingency fund intended for SNAP recipients. The administration’s interpretation of the law determines whether these funds are released to cover regular benefits during a funding crisis. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program has a dedicated contingency reserve fund, typically holding billions of dollars. Recent reports estimate this fund to be between $5 billion and $6 billion. This fund is meant to cover benefits if the regular annual appropriation is insufficient. Advocates argue that many members of Congress, budget experts, and state governors believe this multi-year contingency fund is legally available and intended to be used to maintain benefits during a government shutdown or other funding crises.
Advocates point out that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s own pre-shutdown guidelines often stated that SNAP operations would continue by utilizing these funds. However, the administration has claimed that the contingency funds are not legally available for regular monthly benefits once the appropriation for those benefits has lapsed completely. The administration asserts that the fund is reserved for specific emergencies, such as natural disasters.
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