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Five ways US government shutdown is hurting - and why it's about to get worse

October 30, 2025

The US government shutdown, now in its fifth week with no resolution between deadlocked Democrats and Republicans, is causing severe economic hardship for millions of Americans. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which serves over 40 million people, is set to run out of funding, potentially leaving families without food assistance for the first time in the program's history. More than a million military service members face missing paychecks, while six million Americans could lose heating assistance as winter temperatures drop.

Who is affected

  • More than 40 million Americans who use SNAP (food stamps)
  • Three million New Yorkers losing food assistance
  • More than 1.3 million active-duty military service members
  • Military families (about 25% considered food insecure)
  • Approximately six million Americans using the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
  • Thousands of federal civilian employees
  • Congressional aides on Capitol Hill
  • Approximately 4.5 million federal civilian employees potentially affected by December 1st
  • Thousands of air traffic controllers
  • Thousands of airline passengers experiencing flight delays
  • Food banks and food pantries experiencing increased demand

What action is being taken

  • New York Governor Kathy Hochul has declared a state of emergency
  • Half the states and the District of Columbia are suing President Trump's administration over the food aid freeze
  • People enrolled in SNAP are stockpiling food and visiting aid organizations
  • The Pentagon has accepted a $130 million gift from a wealthy donor to help pay salaries
  • The White House is planning to pay troops on October 31st by using money from military housing, research-and-development, and defense procurement funds
  • Air traffic controllers are calling in sick and getting second jobs
  • Food banks and food pantries are serving increased numbers of federal workers

Why it matters

  • This shutdown represents an unprecedented crisis affecting basic survival needs for millions of Americans. SNAP benefits could lapse for the first time in the program's history, threatening food security for over 40 million people who rely on this critical lifeline to stay out of poverty. Military families, already financially vulnerable with many having minimal emergency savings, face missing paychecks while continuing to serve. The potential loss of heating assistance during winter months poses life-threatening risks, particularly in northern areas where temperatures are already dropping. The cascading effects extend beyond individual hardship to national infrastructure, with overworked and unpaid air traffic controllers creating safety concerns and flight delays that disrupt commerce and travel nationwide.

What's next

  • SNAP benefits could lapse by Saturday (November 1st)
  • More than a million military members will miss paychecks on Friday if the Trump administration does not intervene
  • The White House plans to pay troops on October 31st using redirected military funds
  • The government usually sends Liheap funds to utility companies in mid-November
  • If the shutdown continues until December 1st, approximately 4.5 million paychecks will be withheld from federal civilian employees, totaling about $21 billion in missing wages
  • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has warned air traffic controllers could be fired if they fail to show up for work
  • Trump's attempt to fire thousands of workers is being challenged in court

Read full article from source: BBC