WASHINGTON (AP) — The crisis at the heart of the fight over the government shutdown in Washington came to a head Saturday as the federal food assistance program faced delays and millions of Americans were set to see their health insurance bills skyrocket.
The impact on basic needs — food and medical care — underscored the extent to which the impasse is affecting homes across the United States. The Trump administration's plans to freeze Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments were stopped by federal judges on Saturday, but the delay in payments is still likely to leave millions of people short on their grocery bills.
All this has increased the burden on the country: months of delayed salaries for federal employees and an increase in flight delays. The shutdown is already the second-longest in history and entered its second month Saturday, but there was little urgency in Washington to end it with lawmakers away from Capitol Hill and both parties entrenched in their positions.
The House has not met on legislative business for more than six weeks, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., adjourned his chamber for the weekend after bipartisan talks failed to produce significant progress.
Thune said he hopes “the pressure starts to mount and the consequences of the government shutdown become even more real for everyone, and they express renewed interest in trying to find a way forward.”
The impasse is growing increasingly unsustainable as Republican President Donald Trump demands action and Democratic leaders warn that clamor over rising health insurance costs will force Congress to act.
“This weekend, Americans faced a health crisis unprecedented in modern times,” New York Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said this week.
Delays and uncertainty surrounding SNAP
The Agriculture Department planned to withhold food program payments on Saturday until two federal judges order the administration to make them. Trump said he would provide the money but would like more legal guidance from the court, which won't happen until Monday.
The program serves about one in eight Americans and costs about $8 billion a month. The judges agreed that the USDA needs to at least use a reserve fund of about $5 billion to keep the program going. But that left some uncertainty about whether the department would use the extra money or provide only partial benefits for the month.
Payments will already be delayed because SNAP cards take a week or more to load in many states.
“The Trump administration must follow the law and immediately address this problem by working closely with states to get food assistance to the millions of people who rely on it as quickly as possible,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said in a statement after the ruling.
Republicans, responding to Democratic demands for SNAP funding, say the program is in such dire straits because Democrats have repeatedly voted against short-term government funding bills.
“We are now approaching a tipping point with Democrats voting against government funding, 14 times,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, said at a news conference Friday.
Trump entered the debate late Thursday, suggesting that Republican senators in the majority could end the shutdown by getting rid of filibuster rules that prevent most legislation from moving forward unless it receives the support of at least 60 senators. Democrats have used the filibuster for weeks to block the funding bill in the Senate.
Republican leaders quickly rejected Trump's idea, but the debate showed how desperate the fight had become.
Health care subsidies expire
The annual sign-up period for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act also begins Saturday, and there's been a sharp increase in the amount people pay for coverage. Expanded tax breaks that help most enrollees pay for health plans are set to expire next year.
Democrats have rallied around a push to extend those loans and have refused to vote on government funding legislation until Congress acts.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., spoke on the Senate floor this week about constituents who she said face insurance premium increases of up to $2,000 a month if the credits expire.
“Today I’m hearing from families in my state who are panicking,” she said. “The time to act is now.”
If Congress doesn't extend the loans, subsidized enrollees would face an increase in costs of about 114%, or more than $1,000 per year on average, the nonprofit health research organization KFF found.
In the days leading up to open recruitment, Democratic politicians across the country warned that the price hikes would hit their voters hard.
For example, in Wisconsin, households on an ACA silver plan could see premium increases of approximately $12,500 to $24,500 per year depending on their location. Couples in their sixties could face increases ranging from nearly $19,900 to $33,150 a year.
“No matter what the percentage, it's a heck of a lot,” said Gov. Tony Evers, a Wisconsin Democrat.
Some Republicans in Congress have been open to the idea of extending the subsidies, but they also want to make major changes to health care reform enacted when Democrat Barack Obama was president.
Thune suggested that Democrats vote to extend the benefits, but did not guarantee a result.
Flight delays and non-payment of wages
Federal workers have gone a full month without full pay, and workforce fatigue is evident.
Major unions representing federal workers have called for an end to the shutdown, putting even more pressure on Democrats to abandon their health care demands. The president of the union representing air traffic controllers was the latest to call on Congress to pass legislation reopening the government so federal workers can get paid and then lawmakers can engage in bipartisan negotiations on health care.
In a statement Friday, Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said the financial and mental strain on employees is increasing, “making them less safe with each passing day of the shutdown.”
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Associated Press writers Todd Richmond in Madison, Wis., and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.
