Updated 2 min read
The government shutdown is less than a week from breaking the record as the longest in US history. As economic pain points begin to mount, President Trump has called for Senate Republicans to eliminate the filibuster to force an end to the shutdown.
“THE CHOICE IS CLEAR — INITIATE THE ‘NUCLEAR OPTION,’” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Trump’s call throws a potential wrench into GOP leaders’ carefully laid plans. Both parties have, in recent years, taken steps to erode the filibuster, a Senate rule that requires most legislation to abide by a 60-vote threshold. But both parties have stopped short of eliminating the rule, fearing repercussions upon losing control of the chamber.
Trump’s comments also came amid whispers on Capitol Hill that negotiations could finally be in the offing.
In focus before lawmakers return next week are Trump administration plans to not fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — also known as food stamps — starting this weekend.
Those benefits are received by roughly one in eight Americans, with the economic and human costs of a cutoff likely to mount quickly. A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from suspending those benefits, though it is likely to face appeal.
Also this week, air traffic controllers became the latest group of federal workers to go without pay. They missed their first full paycheck on Tuesday as flight interruptions continue to spread.
Active duty members of the military, who have paychecks due at the end of the month, appear set for a reprieve after Vice President JD Vance said the Trump administration will likely find money to make this payment.
Democrats, meanwhile, are focused on another deadline this coming weekend when they hope the political pressure on Republicans will increase.
Saturday is the beginning of an open enrollment period for healthcare programs run by Affordable Care Act exchanges. Premium increases there — with Democrats looking to extend enhanced government subsidies for those plans — are at the heart of the impasse.
Here are the latest updates as the impacts of the government shutdown unfold.
LIVE 39 updates
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‘Irreparable harm’: Court rules Trump administration must pay SNAP benefits this week
As millions of Americans faced an abrupt pause in their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP benefits this weekend amid the government shutdown, a federal judge in Rhode Island on Saturday ordered the Trump administration to start paying full benefits by Monday or partial benefits by Wednesday, citing “irreparable harm” if the benefits are not paid, Reuters reports.
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Furloughed government workers struggle to get unemployment benefits
Some government workers who have been furloughed because of the shutdown are having difficulty qualifying for and receiving unemployment benefits — possibly in part because the workers who would assist with processing approvals may have been furloughed themselves, the Associated Press reports:
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Republicans shrug off Trump’s call to zap filibuster
Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other Republican senators brushed off President Trump’s call to scrap the filibuster from Senate rules.
Via Reuters:
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US judge blocks Trump administration from suspending food aid benefits
From Reuters:
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Airline CEOs pressure Congress to pass funding bill as flight disruptions mount
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Trump throws ‘hand grenade’ into shutdown deliberations with call to ‘nuke’ filibuster
Some interesting commentary from Greg Valliere, chief US policy strategist at AGF Investments.
He says Trump’s call for Republicans to use the “nuclear option” and zap the filibuster from Senate rules amounts to throwing a “hand grenade” into the proceedings. Especially since it comes at a time when negotiations toward ending the shutdown finally seemed imminent.
Here’s Valliere:
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Trump says time for Republicans to go ‘nuclear’ on filibuster
President Trump has called for Senate Republicans to eliminate the filibuster to force an end to the shutdown.
“THE CHOICE IS CLEAR — INITIATE THE “NUCLEAR OPTION,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Trump’s call throws a potential wrench into GOP leaders’ carefully laid plans. Both parties have in recent years taken steps to erode the filibuster, a Senate rule that requires most legislation to abide by a 60-vote threshold. But both parties have stopped short of eliminating the rule, fearing repercussions upon losing control of the chamber.
Republicans hold control of 53 seats in the Senate. Most of the Democratic members have remained in lockstep with their party to block passage of bills that would end the shutdown, as the party has clamored for negotiations to extend expiring subsidies for Americans on Affordable Care Act healthcare exchanges.
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US judge skeptical Trump administration can suspend food benefits
A federal judge in Boston on Thursday heard arguments on whether the Trump’s administration can legally suspend food aid for millions of Americans amid the ongoing government shutdown as it has said it as it plans to do starting Saturday.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani asked questions Thursday and is set to rule before the weekend.
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United, American CEOs to meet Vance as shutdown strains travel
The government shutdown continues to have a negative impact on the travel industry due to staff shortages. Vice President JD Vance is set to meet with CEOs and leaders from aviation companies to discuss next steps.
Bloomberg reports:
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Thaw in shutdown talks raises hopes for a deal—but probably not until next week at the earliest
President Trump is heading back to the US after his Asia trip and meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. He’s set to arrive back in Washington just as real talks to end the shutdown finally appear to be possible.
A series of signals in recent days have suggested new openness to bipartisan talks after a month of shutdown. But it may take days to play out as the economic pain continues.
Burgess Everett of Semafor reports on the shifting state of play on Capitol Hill:
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Some Obamacare recipients get a first look at the prices hikes in store for 2026
Obamacare exchange consumers in the 30 states got a first look this week at what they’ll pay in 2026 when new rates were posted at healthcare.gov.
It could increase the pressure on an agreement to end the shutdown, with premiums set to soar.
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The shutdown has permanently cost US economy up to $14 billion so far
The ongoing federal shutdown has already cost the US economy between $7 billion and $14 billion, according to a new report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
That could subtract up to 2% from gross domestic product in the fourth quarter.
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Powell on absence of data amid shutdown: ‘If you’re driving in the fog, you slow down’
At a press conference on Wednesday, Federal Reserve Chair Powell fielded questions from reporters about how the government shutdown is affecting the central bank’s decision making.
The Fed cut interest rates by 25 basis points at its October meeting, as expected, even as the shutdown has deprived central bank policymakers of some of the gold-standard government data that they typically rely on.
“This is a temporary state of affairs,” Powell said (watch the full press conference below). “We’re going to collect every scrap of data we can find, evaluate it, and think carefully about it. And that’s our jobs. That’s what we’re going to do.”
Powell explained that the Fed will continue to look at other sources of information, such as the Fed’s Beige Book and private data. He noted that the Fed may not have a “very granular understanding of the economy while this data is not available” but that it would pick up on “material developments” in the economy.
Still, Powell acknowledged that the lack of data could make the Fed more cautious in its December meeting. “If you ask me, could it affect the December meeting?” Powell said. “I’m not saying it’s going to, but yeah, you could imagine that.”
“If you’re driving in the fog, you slow down,” he added.
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SNAP deadline looms over poorest Americans: ‘Am I going to pay my rent, or am I going to eat?’
Food stamp funding is set to lapse within days due to the shutdown with struggling Americans bracing to go without government assistance during a period of higher grocery prices.
Emma Ockerman covers the economy and labor for Yahoo Finance and finds that the economic and human costs of a food cutoff could add up quickly.
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Vice President Vance says troops will be paid as pressure builds on Congress
Vice President JD Vance was on Capitol Hill on Tuesday and told reporters that it’s his expectation that the Trump administration will find the money to pay U.S. military members at the end of the week but without specifying how.
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States sue over Trump administration suspending food benefits during shutdown
A coalition of 25 mostly Democratic-led states have filed a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from its plan to suspend food aid benefits next month.
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Trump administration’s attempts to cancel more federal funding during shutdown may be stymied by courts
As the US government shutdown drags on, President Trump’s administration is trying to cancel federal funding that was already approved, on top of the billions it has canceled or threatened to cancel, since he took office.
But states, cities, and nonprofits have pushed back against the attempted cuts with more than 150 lawsuits, the Associated Press reports. For the most part, these cases have been successful in court so far.
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Flight delays multiply at US airports amid a spike in air traffic controller absences
The US Department of Transportation said nearly half of the 8,600 flight delays at US airports on Sunday were due to a spike in air traffic controller absences, brought on by the government shutdown, Reuters reports. And nearly 3,000 flights were delayed on Monday with the shutdown in its 27th day.
Air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers are required to continue working unpaid during the shutdown. Many will miss their first full paycheck this week. Normally, air traffic controller absences only account for about 5% of flight delays, the DOT said.
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US-China trade talks could ease farm pain point for Trump, expert says
The meeting between President Trump and his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping, this week could offer farmers some relief — and Trump a lifeline — as a farm aid bill remains stalled in Congress.
According to Henrietta Treyz, managing partner and director of economic policy at Veda Partners, the US delegation is seeking confirmation that China will resume purchases of American soybeans, which would help struggling farmers caught between US trade policies and foreign countermeasures.
“If China buys soybeans, then the president is under a little bit less pressure to reach a deal with Democrats that could compel them to give some funding for a bailout package domestically,” Treyz told Yahoo Finance.
Last week, the Trump administration announced that the Agriculture Department would reopen approximately 2,100 core county offices to release more than $3 billion in aid to US farmers, despite the ongoing government shutdown. According to the AP, a White House official said the administration is using funds from a USDA agency that addresses agricultural prices. The release of these funds comes after farm aid was frozen for three weeks.
“This is the critical piece,” Treyz said about agriculture and the US-China talks. “China has quite a bit of room to make purchases … [and] that dynamic has a read-through to the government shutdown.”
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Transportation Secretary Duffy says more shutdown-related delays likely at US airports
Ahead of the busy holiday travel season, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Sunday that more flight delays and cancellations are likely as the government shutdown, now more than two weeks old, drags on with no end in sight, Bloomberg reports:
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