The risk of many states potentially running out of SNAP funding could be a new pressure point that pushes lawmakers to end the government shutdown.
Top Democrats on Capitol Hill told Scripps News Monday that the looming expiration of food assistance for millions of their constituents may cause them to rethink their shutdown strategy.
So far, Democrats have kept up their fight to preserve Affordable Care Act subsidies, which expire at the end of this year. Americans will see the expected costs of those expirations when they begin open enrollment for healthcare at the beginning of November.
Democrats had hoped to reach some sort of agreement before reopening the government on expanding these subsidies, preventing them from expiring, and keeping the cost of health care lower for many Americans.
But support for a protracted standoff, including from Democratic activists and union representatives, may be weakening.
The American Federation of Government employees put out a statement Monday saying "it's past time to end this shutdown."
The group's national president said that "It's time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end the shutdown today. No half measures, and no gamesmanship. Put every single federal worker back on the job with full back pay — today."
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Republicans have seized on the line as they criticize Democrats.
"It's a union. And they represent such a large amount — there's 1.4 million federal employees. They represent 800,000 of them," House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Monday. "They understand the reality of this. These are federal employees. Many of them watch carefully what happens here in the halls of Congress. They know that this whole thing by the Democrats, the entire shutdown — is a charade, because they know, and anybody who pays attention knows, we always were going to arm wrestle over the remaining issues on the table this year. And they're tired of the distraction and it's hurting their families and people are suffering real hardships. They really are going to the food pantries now to feed their families. It's shameful."
Republicans maintain they'll have a negotiation about Affordable Care Act subsidies, but only once Democrats vote to reopen the government.
