WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tuesday marked day 35 of the government shutdown. It’s now tied for the longest shutdown in US history. The record was set during President Trump’s first term. As Congress seems to not show any progress, the President is now threatening to withhold SNAP benefits until the shutdown is over.
For the 14th time, the Senate failed to pass the Republican-backed continuing resolution. Failing to approve a government funding bill will continue the shutdown. Now we’re headed to break a new record on the longest government shutdown, ever.
On Tuesday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced some parts of US airspace might close if there’s not enough air traffic controllers showing up for work.
Also on Tuesday, the President threatened to not issue food stamp payments for the millions of Americans who rely on them until the shutdown ends. Last week, a federal court ordered the administration to continue funding SNAP. The White House said they are “fully complying” with the order.
“We are digging into a contingency fund that is supposed to be for emergencies, catastrophes, for war,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. “And the President does not want to tap into this fund in the future and that’s what he was referring to in his Truth Social post. So, the Department of Agriculture and the latest SNAP payment and the judge’s order put out a guidance to states today on how to get that money to recipients of SNAP but it’s going to take some time.”
As Congress approaches day 36 with no resolution in sight, Dr. Casey Burgat, the legislative affairs program director and associate professor at George Washington University, said the optics of the shutdown for both parties does not look good.
“Congress is already the least popular branch of government and its always been true and when they fail to do their primary responsibilities which is fund the government, there’s no way those numbers go up,” said Dr. Burgat. “The sad incentive structure here is while both will get blamed, one is just competing to not get blamed as much as the other party.”
Dr. Burgat adds someone’s got to give in order to get out of this shutdown.
“We’re gonna see language- political language what guarantees are coming together,” said Dr. Burgat. “Republicans will say Democrats caved. Democrats will say they won something they otherwise wouldn’t and then it’s up to everyone to make their calculation, but the reality is there is not a winner here.”
The President is also renewing his push to end the Senate filibuster, which would pass the funding measure by a simple majority. Many of the Senate Republicans want to keep the filibuster because they said it’s a safety net for when the majority party becomes the minority.
