Copyright The Boston Globe
As thousands of federal workers go unpaid and millions of Americans face the loss of federal programs, Republicans and Democrats remain at loggerheads over how to move forward. Democrats are seeking a government deal that extends Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, which are set to expire on Dec. 31, while Republicans are pushing for a clean, short term measure. The shutdown will persist until Senate leaders can muster 60 votes to pass a temporary funding bill. Republicans control just 53 seats, meaning at least some Democrats must support any deal for the shutdown to end. Here are some key programs that are losing funding as Congress fails to reach a deal. The Trump administration insists that SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that serves over 41 million people, runs out of money as of Nov. 1. Nearly 1.11 million Massachusetts residents, about 16 percent of the state’s population, use SNAP benefits. In Massachusetts, food insecurity has surged more than 90 percent since 2019, with children making up 32 percent of SNAP recipients, officials say. On Oct. 24, the US Agriculture Department warned that it cannot tap into billions in contingency funds to continue food stamp payments during the shutdown, as Democrats and a number of states have urged. The feds also said that states that cover the costs independently would not receive reimbursement, according to a memo first reported by Axios. The Agriculture Department updated its website on Oct. 25, blaming Democrats for the suspension of food stamp benefits, which it said will stop on Saturday because of the ongoing government shutdown. On Friday, federal judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration to keep SNAP funded during the shutdown. The ruling followed a lawsuit by Massachusetts and more than two dozen other states, which argued that federal law requires the USDA to use the existing contingency funds to keep SNAP running. It’s not yet clear when SNAP benefits will appear on recipients’ debit cards, a process that can take up to two weeks. The judges gave the administration leeway on whether to fund the program partially or in full for November. That also brings uncertainty about how things will unfold and will delay payments for many beneficiaries whose cards would normally be recharged early in the month. Head Start, a federal program supporting early education for low-income families, faces potential disruptions as if the shutdown continues after Saturday. With new grants on hold, several programs already missed October disbursements, while 134 more will miss funding due Nov. 1, putting over 65,000 student spots at risk, according to the National Head Start Association. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, which supports more than 6 million low-income mothers and young children, is set to run out of federal funding on Saturday. The program provides vouchers for essentials like infant formula, fresh produce, low-fat milk, and other nutritious foods that many families could not otherwise afford. Open enrollment for ACA kicks off Saturday, allowing millions of Americans to begin selecting their 2026 health plans. ACA subsidies that reduce insurance premiums are set to expire on Dec. 31. The price of next year’s health insurance remains uncertain. But in Massachusetts, officials have indicated to consumers they could see premium hikes of hundreds or thousands of dollars a year if Congress allows federal health subsidies to expire at the end of the year. In Massachusetts, some 337,000 people benefited from the federal subsidies that made health insurance more affordable through the Massachusetts Health Connector, the state’s version of the ACA. Material from previous Globe coverage and the Associated Press was used in this report.
