Shutdown Hits Historic Day 35: Flights At Risk, Food Stamps In Limbo
Today marks Day 35 of the government shutdown — now tied for the longest in U.S. history — and federal workers are reaching a breaking point.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned Tuesday that if air traffic controllers miss a second paycheck next week, the U.S. could see widespread flight cancellations or even closed airspace. President Trump also threatened SNAP benefits Tuesday, posting that they “will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government,” appearing to defy two federal court orders.
IN THE SKIES
Duffy said controllers told him they could manage missing one paycheck, but not two — which would happen early next week if Congress doesn’t end the stalemate this week.
“If you bring us to a week from today, Democrats, you will see mass chaos,” he said. “You will see mass flight delays, mass cancellations, and possibly closed airspace because we just cannot manage it.”
What it could look like: While emphasizing that the system remains safe, Duffy acknowledged his agency may need to slow or cancel flights if staffing continues to drop — adding, “It would be dishonest to say that more risk is not injected into the system.”
Rewind: The other 35-day shutdown back in 2019 ended after a surge in sick calls among controllers caused widespread flight delays
FOOD AID IN LIMBO
Trump’s Tuesday remark about SNAP payments sparked confusion as it appears to defy two federal court orders requiring the administration to issue at least partial payments from an emergency fund during the shutdown.
On Monday, The White House said it would provide partial SNAP payments to nearly 42 million Americans — 1 in 8 Americans — on the food aid program for November, as the government shutdown stretched into its second month.
Later on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified what the president said earlier in the day. She told reporters: ”The recipients of these SNAP benefits need to understand it’s going to take some time to receive this money because the Democrats have forced the administration into a very untenable position.”
SNAP costs about $9 billion per month to fund. Officials at the Department of Agriculture argued that the $5 billion contingency fund was designed for temporary, short-term disruptions — such as natural disasters or administrative delays — not to sustain regular monthly benefits when Congress hasn’t appropriated money. Federal judges disagreed.
It marks the first shutdown in U.S. history to disrupt payments for the program. It’s unclear how quickly beneficiaries’ debit cards can be reloaded. Over the weekend, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said SNAP payments “could be“ made by Wednesday, but added that “five Democratic senators could cross the aisle and open the government by Wednesday.”
Despite the mounting pressure, there are some (small) signs of progress: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said Monday, “I think we’re getting close to an off ramp here.”