The Shutdown's Fallout Spreads Further

The U.S. government shutdown has entered its 38th day, making it the longest funding gap in U.S. history. The consequences of the standstill are far-reaching, with food benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, having already come to a halt at the weekend. While a judge has ordered the Trump administration to release full funding for November food stamps by the end of today, the administration asked an appeals court to block the ruling. Meanwhile, around 1.4 million federal employees are on unpaid leave or working without pay until funding is restored and 10 percent of flights at 40 major U.S. airports have been cut amid air traffic control safety concerns. Trump has responded to these events by calling for Republicans to abolish the Senate filibuster rule that requires the 60-vote majority for legislation to pass.

A recent wave of surveys by polling company YouGov illustrates how the number of adults who feel they are personally being affected by the shutdown is growing. This pattern is true for both Democrats and Republicans, albeit to a greater extent among Democrats. On October 10, 21 percent of overall U.S. respondents said they were personally affected by the shutdown either somewhat or a great deal. This had risen to 36 percent as of October 31.

Americans are divided on who they think is most responsible for the standstill, with 35 percent blaming Republicans in Congress, 32 percent blaming Democrats in Congress and 28 percent saying the two groups are equally responsible. Meanwhile, net approval of Trump’s handling of the shutdown has dropped in recent weeks. On the topic of SNAP benefits, around three quarters of U.S. adults said they should be paid during the government shutdown.