US Government Shutdown Enters Fourth Week: Impact on SNAP Benefits and Essential Services

Essential government services continue to operate during a shutdown, though with limitations.

The US Department of Agriculture has issued a warning that federal food assistance will cease on November 1 as the government shutdown enters its fourth week without resolution. The announcement states that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which supports approximately one in eight Americans with grocery costs, will halt payments unless Congress resolves the budget impasse.

The Trump administration has rejected using $5 billion in emergency reserves to maintain SNAP through November.

The shutdown began October 1 when Congress failed to approve a new federal budget. Under the US system, Congress must annually pass spending legislation for presidential approval.

While Republicans control both congressional chambers, they lack the 60-vote Senate majority required to pass funding bills.

Democratic budget priorities include extending tax credits for affordable healthcare, protecting Medicaid for low-income and elderly citizens, and preventing cuts to government health agencies.

A temporary funding measure passed the House but stalled in the Senate.

On October 1, the United States entered its first government shutdown in nearly seven years.

During a shutdown, essential services remain operational, though most employees work without compensation until government reopens.

Services continuing without payment include border protection, law enforcement, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and hospital medical personnel.

Severely impacted areas include air travel, with thousands of flights delayed or canceled due to air traffic controller shortages; 1.4 million federal workers either furloughed or working unpaid; suspended research projects and grants; small businesses losing federal contract income; SNAP benefits affecting 41 million Americans; closure of federally funded schools and childcare programs; and shuttered national parks and landmarks including Alcatraz Island and the Washington Monument.

Services still functioning include mail delivery (self-funded Postal Service), Social Security and Medicare payments (with limited support), and Congressional salary payments.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has described both parties as "dug in," according to NPR. Eleven separate votes to reopen the government have failed in the Senate.