On Saturday morning, after Halloween trick-or-treating, Americans will wake up to a startling new reality: a second month of government shutdowns that show no signs of ending.
Shut down It was launched on October 1. If it lasts until Nov. 5 — as it seems likely — it will become the longest in U.S. history.
So far, federal workers have given birth to Brent, but the direct effects of the shutdown will soon be felt by millions more Americans. It’s something that’s going to come along.
1. Some 41.7 million Americans could lose food assistance
Due to funding cuts, food assistance benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will not be available until November 1. By mid-month, 41.7 million people will go without a SNAP, putting families at risk of not having enough food to eat. It will also put additional pressure on community food banks.
The Agriculture Department has some emergency reserve funds earmarked for SNAP, which could partially fund the program for a limited time, but has indicated it will not distribute them during the shutdown. Late Thursday, a federal judge said she could order the administration to use those funds.
2. Military pay may be at risk
Millions Federal workers are already running without pay, including both furloughed workers and essential workers who are on duty. Soon, active-duty service members may be in the same boat.
Members of the military are usually subject to the same pay freeze as federal workers during a shutdown, but this time around the White House, billionaire Timothy Mellon and a combination of existing government funds and private donations were used to pay members of the military. For a while, at least.
Officials have warned that these temporary arrangements will not last long, and there are reports that some service members have already been underpaid.
“I think we’ll be able to pay them in November,” Treasury Secretary Scott Besant said in a televised interview that aired Sunday. “But until November 15, our soldiers and service members who are willing to risk their lives will not be able to pay compensation.”
The United States has approximately 1.3 million active duty service members worldwide. All federal workers and service members will receive back pay when the shutdown ends, but the checks could take weeks to land.
3. Travel service disruptions will worsen
Air traffic controller And TSA staffing shortages are likely to increase flight delays and lead to more cancellations.
Meanwhile, national parks, monuments and public lands will remain closed or unmaintained, inconveniencing travelers and hurting tourism revenue.
4. Service disruptions will deepen
All federal services will be delayed or completely absent. This includes things like:
Public health surveillance and response.
Medicare and Medicaid applications and services.
FHA Loans for Home Buyers
Federal Small Business Loans.
5. The economy will suffer severely
As household spending confidence declines, consumer spending may decline. Federal workers continue to lose pay and families lose food benefits. The ripple effects of shutdowns can also deepen business losses, especially for government contractors and vendors.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated this week that real gross domestic product (GDP) could fall by 1 to 2 percent in the fourth quarter, depending on how long it lasts. Some of that growth could be regained once the government reopens, but the $14 billion growth will never happen, CBO estimates.
We may not have a full picture of the impact of this shutdown either. Federal data reports have also been delayed due to the shutdown affecting economic policy, the stock market and business decisions.
