As the federal government shutdown extends into its 27th day with no resolution in sight, no active talks between Democratic and Republican leaders, and President Donald Trump focused on his White House ballroom project while heading off to Asia, millions of Americans are bracing for mounting hardship.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson kicked off the week with a press conference during which he blamed Democrats for the shutdown:

“Democrats are required to open the government. They keep saying, ‘Republicans are in charge of government.’ We aren’t!” Johnson alleged, despite Republicans having majorities in the House and Senate, and a Republican President in the White House.

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As of Saturday, about 40 million Americans on food stamps will see their benefits disappear. Also blaming Democrats, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced as of November 1 the “well has run dry” and it will not release any SNAP payments. This comes despite its own internal memo stating “congressional intent” and, some say, the law, requires billions in available emergency funds are to be used during a shutdown. Some experts and critics say this is another of the Republicans’ moves to try to pin the shutdown on Democrats and make them pay in public perception and in their pocketbooks.

According to Politico, the SNAP stoppage is just one of a half-dozen ways the shutdown is going to get even worse: “Popular programs that provide nutrition assistance, early childhood education and air service to rural communities are now among those about to run out of money.”

The USDA has told states if they pay out SNAP benefits the federal government will not reimburse them after the shutdown lifts.

Federal workers will not receive their paychecks the week, the first full paycheck loss of the shutdown. This means that air travelers likely will see longer security lines, and longer times on the runway as fewer TSA agents and air traffic controllers — working without pay — are expected to be on the job.

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Among the thousands of federal workers who will not be receiving their paychecks on Friday are House congressional staffers, although their bosses, by law, will be paid. Speaker Mike Johnson has ordered GOP members of Congress to stay in their home districts. The following week, unless the government reopens, Senate staffers also will not be paid.

With Republicans refusing to negotiate with Democrats on reinstating the Affordable Care Act subsidies, millions of Americans will learn on November 1 just how much their Obamacare premiums will rise. Some estimates are in the double digits, but many say those increases could be double or triple current rates.

At least tens of thousands of children enrolled in Head Start and other early childhood education programs — more than 130 programs — will see a loss of federal funding.

“Loss of federal funding means some teachers won’t get paid and some centers will close,” Politico noted.

Despite the $130 million “gift” reportedly from a Trump “friend” to help pay the troops, members of the U.S. military risk not being paid on Friday without Congress reopening the government — or President Donald Trump reallocating funds from elsewhere in the government, as he did earlier this month. Some experts say those moves are unlawful.

“Trump does plan to continue using other funding to cover military paychecks during the shutdown, according to two White House officials granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly,” Politico also reported.

All of this of course has an impact on the economy. When people don’t get paid they often stop spending. Some experts, including the White House, say the economy could be on the hook for a loss of about $15 billion in GDP losses each week.

Critics are blasting the President and Republicans.

“Donald Trump is literally dancing in Asia while 40 million people lose access to food. Disgusting,” remarked California Governor Gavin Newsom on Sunday.

“I guess cutting billions from SNAP in his Big Ugly Bill wasn’t enough for Trump. Now, he’s choosing —yes, this is a choice — to not give families the critical food assistance they need to feed their families,” commented U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) on Sunday.

“The Trump Admin found $20 billion to bail out Argentina but refuses to tap into a $6 billion reserve fund to provide vital food assistance to 42 million Americans. They’re using food and hunger as leverage as they hold the government hostage. Sickening,” wrote U.S Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) on Monday.

Mike Johnson: "Democrats are required to open the government. They keep saying, 'Republicans are in charge of government.' We aren't!" pic.twitter.com/UK8FxoZUyR

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 27, 2025

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Image via Reuters

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says contingency funds cannot be used to pay SNAP benefits to about 42 million people, despite its own prior guidance that points to “Congressional intent.” The USDA also says that states that choose to cover those costs will not be reimbursed when the shutdown is lifted.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program “has contingency funds that could cover about two-thirds of the shortfall, which Democrats and liberal-leaning groups are calling on the administration to tap,” Axios reported. “But the USDA issued a one-page memo Friday saying the fund is only for true emergencies ‘like hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods, that can come on quickly and without notice.'”

Axios also called Friday’s guidance “the latest salvo in a string of memos and legal opinions designed to pressure Democrats into approving a ‘clean CR,’ or continuing resolution, to fund the government.”

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Additionally, Axios reported, a Center for American Progress (CAP) analysis Thursday “argued Trump has a legal obligation to continue funding SNAP, and accused him of cruelty.”

“The Trump administration has spent the entire year endangering the food security of millions of Americans,” CAP’s analysis stated. “From terminating funding used to purchase food for schools and food banks to passing the largest cuts in SNAP history, the administration has made it clear that its goal is to take food away from hungry families—and that sentiment is extending to the USDA’s approach to the shutdown.”

But according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), a now-deleted USDA shutdown “Lapse of Funding” memo states that the General Counsel of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) “provided a letter to USDA” that states “there is a bona fide need to obligate benefits for October – the first month of the fiscal year – during or prior to the month of September,” which would guarantee that funds be available for SNAP benefits.

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“In addition,” the memo stated, “Congressional intent is evident that SNAP’s operations should continue since the program has been provided with multi-year contingency funds that can be used for State Administrative Expenses to ensure that the State can also continue operations during a Federal Government shutdown.”

CBPP President Sharon Parrott, a former OMB official, said in a statement on Thursday that Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ “claim that the Trump Administration is unable to deliver November SNAP benefits during a shutdown is unequivocally false.”

“In fact,” Parrott said, “the Administration is legally required to use contingency reserves — billions of dollars that Congress provided for use when SNAP funding is inadequate that remain available during the shutdown — to fund November benefits for the 1 in 8 Americans who need SNAP to afford their grocery bill.”

READ MORE: Alabama Republican Ties School Enrollment Drop to ‘Dissatisfaction’ With LGBTQ Content

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An Alabama state GOP lawmaker says expanding the current “Don’t Say Gay” law would stop the record drop in school enrollment.

State Rep. Mack Butler of Rainbow City has filed legislation to expand the “Don’t Say Gay” law, first passed in 2021, from K-5 classrooms to all public school grades, according to the Alabama Reflector:

“Butler said in an interview Wednesday the bill is meant to help public schools focus on educating students and claimed that the recent enrollment decline partially comes from parents who are unsatisfied with LGBTQ content in schools. Alabama public officials have not said that was a reason for the drop in the K-12 population.”

Rep. Butler added, “as you’re seeing with the decreased enrollment, and a lot of it’s the CHOOSE Act and the virtual school or home schooling, but there absolutely is a dissatisfaction with what we’re doing, and I see this as helping public education get them back to their actual core charge.”

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The “Don’t Say Gay” legislation would “prohibit classroom instruction or discussions related to gender identity or sexual orientation from being provided to public school students in prekindergarten through twelfth grade.”

It would “prohibit public preK-12 teachers and education employees from displaying a flag or insignia relating to sexual orientation or gender identity on school property,” and “prohibit public preK-12 teachers and education employees from referring to a student by pronouns inconsistent with the student’s biological sex at birth.”

The Reflector also reported that the “Alabama Legislature in the last five years has passed several laws targeting LGBTQ+ people, including the original ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law passed in 2021 and a ban on gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth the following year.”

According to BillTrack, Butler also has sponsored legislation prohibiting “schools and public libraries from presenting or sponsoring drag performances,” a bill requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all public schools, a bill requiring the “broadcast of the Star-Spangled Banner” weekly, and several bills related to religious exemptions for vaccine requirements.

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