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Each fall, Congress develops a budget for the following fiscal year, running from October 1st to September 30th. In 2025, however, Congress could not agree on how the budget would be allocated by the deadline, sending the government into a shutdown.
The key reason behind the shutdown is the expiration of Obamacare benefits, which were extended under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. Democrats aimed to prevent a skyrocketing 114% predicted increase in insurance premiums by extending Obamacare subsidies, as well as overturn Trump’s recent Medicaid cuts. The Republicans refused to sign off. Because of this disagreement, the US government has been shut down since October 1st, leaving the entire government at risk of losing funding. This was the first US shutdown in seven years, the last one being in Trump’s first term and spanning 35 days.
Despite the lack of funding, many federal essential workers are being forced to work without pay, including TSA and air traffic controllers. Military workers were expected to lose paychecks, but Trump allocated funding for them last minute. Many federal workers have also been furloughed, meaning they have been temporarily placed on unpaid leave from work. Two agencies taking some of the biggest hits are the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institute of Health (NIH), both of which have had to cease research projects due to a lack of staff. However, Immigrations and Custom Enforcement (ICE) workers along with Border Protection staff, also deemed essential workers, are not expected to lose paychecks or be furloughed.
The most terrifying hit of them all, though, is the effect the shutdown is going to have on healthcare. Currently, Medicare and Medicaid are set to keep functioning as usual, but branches of these programs are expected to be impacted significantly by the shutdown. The Telehealth program, a Medicare benefit, provides senior citizens in rural areas with easy access to healthcare providers. Due to the shutdown, seniors who cannot easily access faraway hospitals are losing their Telehealth access, and therefore, their right to accessible healthcare.
Depending on how long the shutdown lasts, Americans with health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) may see a significant increase in healthcare premiums after November 1st, due to the end of Obamacare funding. This is expected to impact over 24 million Americans. Most insurers are proposing an estimated 10% to 20% increase in premiums, while over 25% of insurers are proposing increases of over 20%.
Fortunately, Americans on Social Security and Disability benefits are safe for now, according to the American Association of People with Disabilities, as this funding is separate from the annual federal budget. However, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides low-income people and families with the money they need to buy food, is at risk of losing funding after November 1st. Approximately 80% of households that receive SNAP are families with children, disabled people, and/or a senior citizen. Due to many outstanding socioeconomic factors, disabled people are more likely to experience food insecurity than non-disabled people, which is one reason why SNAP funding is so important. Benefits for October were already sent out to states and then their recipients, but states are at risk of having November benefits delayed or even eliminated, potentially forcing millions of low-income families to go hungry.
While the government shutdown does not affect the income of members of Congress, they are the reason so many Americans are at risk of losing essential life-saving resources. Instead of working to resolve the shutdown as soon as possible, members of the GOP have chosen to leave their offices in DC in protest, as they believe the Democrats are to blame.
Let’s be clear: this is not a partisan issue in the traditional sense; neither party is solely to blame. The government shutdown is a direct result of increased polarization in our government and our politics. If something doesn’t change, and soon, Congress will continue to ignore the needs of millions of Americans, low-income and middle-class alike.
(If you are personally affected by a loss of SNAP benefits, there are a few options to provide nutrition for you and your family. You can visit feedingamerica.org to locate a nearby food pantry. If you’re located in greater New Orleans, you can locate a community fridge near you. Some SNAP benefits will be funded through November in our state, with a phased roll-out using Louisiana Department of Health funds.)
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