As the government shutdown stretches into its fourth week, millions of Americans are facing a critical food assistance program halt. The Department of Agriculture announced that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will not be issued starting November 1. This decision affects approximately 42 million low-income Americans who rely on these benefits, commonly known as food stamps. The USDA stated, "Bottom line, the well has run dry."

SNAP is federally funded but administered by individual states, meaning the impact of the shutdown will vary across the country. Over the weekend, the Trump administration confirmed it would not provide additional funding for SNAP, attributing the shutdown to Democratic lawmakers. This stance marks a shift from the USDA's earlier contingency plan, which indicated that SNAP operations should continue due to multi-year contingency funds available for state administrative expenses during a federal shutdown.

In a memo released last week, the USDA clarified that these contingency funds are only accessible when SNAP funds have been approved by Congress. Earlier in the shutdown, the administration redirected funds to pay military service members but stated it could not do the same for SNAP.

House Speaker Mike Johnson emphasized that the contingency funds for SNAP are "not legally available right now" and urged Democrats to support a clean continuing resolution to reopen the government. He explained, "The reason is because it's a finite source of funds. It was appropriated by Congress, and if they transfer funds from these other sources, it pulls it away immediately from school meals... So it's a trade off."

The shutdown is also affecting air travel. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has had to slow air traffic in major cities like Chicago, Dallas, and Southern California due to staffing shortages. Many air traffic controllers are working without pay and will miss their first paycheck on Tuesday.

As the November 1 deadline for health care premiums approaches, Democrats are continuing to negotiate over health care subsidies. The ongoing shutdown has created a sense of urgency among lawmakers, but a resolution remains elusive.

On Monday, Johnson criticized Democrats, stating that the administration has worked "creatively" to minimize the impact on Americans. He called for more bipartisan cooperation, saying, "We need five more Democrats in the Senate to do the right thing."

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated that President Trump is unlikely to engage in further negotiations with Democrats. When asked about the possibility of Trump meeting with them, Bessent responded, "Well, what good does it do? They dug in. The American people are hostage to Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries' poll numbers."

Meanwhile, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents over 800,000 federal workers, is urging lawmakers to pass a short-term spending bill to end the shutdown. Everett Kelley stated, "It's time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today. No half measures, and no gamesmanship. Put every single federal worker back on the job with full back pay — today." Kelley emphasized the need for leaders to focus on solving problems for the American people rather than assigning blame for the shutdown.