"The impacts on basic needs - food and medical care - underscored how the impasse is hitting homes across the United States. The Trump administration's plans to freeze payments to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on Saturday were halted by federal judges, but the delay in payouts will still likely leave millions of people short on their grocery bills. It all added to the strain on the country, with a month of missed paychecks for federal workers and growing air travel delays."
"The House has not met for legislative business in more than six weeks, while Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., closed his chamber for the weekend after bipartisan talks failed to achieve significant progress. Thune said he is hoping "the pressure starts to intensify, and the consequences of keeping the government shut down become even more real for everybody that they will express, hopefully new interest in trying to come up with a path forward.""
"Delays and uncertainty around SNAP The Department of Agriculture planned to withhold paymentsto the food program on Saturday until two federal judges ordered the administration to make them. Trump said he would provide the money but wanted more legal direction from the court, which will not happen until Monday. The program serves about 1 in 8 Americans and costs about $8 billion per month."
The government shutdown has disrupted basic needs, including food and medical care, and has left millions vulnerable due to delayed benefits and services. Planned freezes to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payouts were stopped by federal judges, but payout delays will likely leave many short on groceries. Federal workers have missed a month of paychecks, air travel has experienced growing delays, and the shutdown entered its second month as Congress remained largely absent from legislative business. Bipartisan talks failed to advance, leaders expressed hope that mounting pressure and rising healthcare costs will force action, while SNAP serves about one in eight Americans at roughly $8 billion monthly.
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