Pressure builds on Congress to end the shutdown, but a quick breakthrough appears unlikely

WASHINGTON (AP) — The pressure to end the second-longest federal government shutdown is gaining new urgency this week as millions of Americans face the prospect of losing food assistance, more federal workers miss their first full paycheck and recurring delays at airports snarl travel plans.

The building strain on lawmakers to end the impasse was magnified by the nation’s largest federal employee union, which called on Congress to immediately pass a funding bill and ensure workers receive full pay. Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, said the two political parties have made their point.

“It’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today. No half measures, and no gamesmanship,” said Kelley, whose union carries considerable political weight with Democratic lawmakers.

Still, Democratic senators, including those representing states with many federal workers, did not appear ready to back down. Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine said he was insisting on commitments from the White House to prevent the administration from mass firing more workers. Democrats also want Congress to extend subsidies for health plans under the Affordable Care Act.

“We’ve got to get a deal with Donald Trump,” Kaine said.

But shutdowns grow more painful the longer they go. Soon, with closures lasting a fourth full week as of Tuesday, millions of Americans are likely to experience the difficulties firsthand.

Shutdown’s impact is set to grow dramatically

The nation’s 1.3 million active-duty service members are at risk of missing a paycheck on Friday. Earlier this month, the Trump administration ensured they were paid by shifting $8 billion from military research and development funds to make payroll. But it is unclear if the Trump administration will be willing — or able — to shift money again.

Larger still, the Trump administration says funding will run out Friday for the food assistance program that is relied upon by 42 million Americans to supplement their grocery bills. The administration has rejected the use of more than $5 billion in contingency funds to keep benefits flowing into November. And it says states won’t be reimbursed if they temporarily cover the cost of benefits next month.

The Department of Agriculture says the contingency fund is intended to help respond to emergencies such as natural disasters. Democrats say the decision concerning the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, goes against the department’s previous guidance concerning its operations during a shutdown.

“The administration is making an intentional choice not to fund SNAP this weekend,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York. “The emergency funding is there. The administration is just choosing not to use it.”

Will lawmakers find a solution?

At the Capitol, congressional leaders mostly highlighted the challenges many Americans are facing as a result of the shutdown. But there was no movement toward negotiations as they attempted to lay blame on the other side of the political aisle.

“Now government workers and every other American affected by this shutdown have become nothing more than pawns in the Democrats’ political games,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.

The House passed a short-term continuing resolution on Sept. 19 to keep federal agencies funded. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has kept the House out of legislative session ever since, saying the solution is for Democrats to simply accept that bill.

But the Senate has consistently fallen short of the 60 votes needed to advance that spending measure. Democrats insist that any bill to fund the government also address health care costs, namely the soaring health insurance premiums that millions of Americans will face next year under plans offered through the Affordable Care Act marketplace.

Window-shopping for health plans delayed

The window for enrolling in ACA health plans begins Saturday. In past years, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has allowed Americans to preview their health coverage options about a week ahead of open enrollment.

As of Monday, bring back all its workers furloughed during the shutdown, in part to manage the ACA open enrollment period.

Twenty-eight senators, mostly Democrats, signed onto a letter urging Trump’s administration to let ACA enrollees start previewing next year’s health insurance options on its marketplace website.

Republicans insist they will not entertain negotiations on health care until the government reopens.

“I’m particularly worried about premiums going up for working families,” said Sen. David McCormick, R-Pa. “So we’re going to have that conversation, but we’re not going to have it until the government opens.”

Congressional leaders dig in deeper

Schumer said Republicans would prefer to shut the government down than work with Democrats in preventing massive spikes in their health insurance costs. He said the average American doesn’t want to pay an extra $20,000 a year to cover their health insurance.

“And we Democrats want to solve this crisis right away,” Schumer said. “So lowering health care is not a crazy demand.”

Vice President JD Vance was planning to visit a Republican luncheon on Capitol Hill Tuesday. But with President Donald Trump on a three-country Asia tour and congressional leaders dug into their positions, a quick deal appeared unlikely.

Meanwhile, some rank-and-file lawmakers urged their colleagues to consider the impact of their standoff on the lives of federal employees and Capitol police officers who are have not been paid for weeks.

“We have got to come together, which means we’ve got to talk to one another,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican, said in a floor speech urging leaders to stop focusing on who was winning the political fight.

“Right now, those that are losing are the American people,” she said.

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Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington and Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report.