NC continues to feel impact as federal shutdown nears one month
The federal government shutdown nears the one-month mark this week, impacting communities across the country and in North Carolina.
The federal government shut down on Oct. 1 after lawmakers on Capitol Hill failed to resolve a budget impasse. The primary issue is the demand from Democrats for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies passed in 2021 to be extended.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated in September that permanently extending the tax credits would add $350 billion to the deficit from 2026 to 2035, and the number of people with taxpayer-subsidized health insurance would increase by 3.8 million by 2035.
Open enrollment for the ACA begins on Nov. 1.
On Tuesday, the Senate failed to pass a Republican-backed funding bill to end the government shutdown for a 13th time. The vote was 54 to 45, falling short of the 60 votes required.
Democrats are feeling increasing pressure to come to an agreement with Republicans as the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest union representing 800,000 federal government employees, urged Democratic lawmakers on Monday to end the shutdown.
“It’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today,” Everett Kelley, AFGE National President, said in a press release.
Edwards: “This is bigger than politics”
US Rep. Chuck Edwards, NC-11, who sits on the House Appropriations Committee, said Democrats in the House and the Senate have chosen partisan politics over the safety and security of the American people.
“Instead of passing a clean CR that would add $22.5 billion to the Disaster Relief Fund — funding that could go a long way in WNC recovery — my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have chosen political showmanship,” he told Carolina Journal in an emailed statement Tuesday. “Voting ’no’ to fund the government halts payments to the men and women of our armed forces, weakens border security, opens the door to hardship on America’s seniors, and blocks much-needed relief for the victims of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina. The government must reopen. The people of NC-11 and others across the country cannot wait. This is bigger than politics – this is about people’s lives.”
The shutdown has left approximately 750,000 federal workers on unpaid leave across the country and another 730,000 deemed essential who are working without pay. Workers will receive back pay once the shutdown ends.
north carolina has over 83,000 federal employees
North Carolina has between 83,000 and 85,000 federal employees, or 1.7 to 2% of the state’s total non-farm employment. The exact figure is unclear due to cuts to the federal workforce made by the Trump administration before the shutdown.
Workers affected include those in governmental agencies such as the Social Security Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, federal corrections, the federal court system, including US District Courts in Raleigh, Greensboro, and Charlotte, as well as other federal courthouses across the state, air traffic controllers, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
The military will be paid at the end of the week, but US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said they won’t be paid again on Nov. 15 if the shutdown continues.
There have been thousands of flights delayed over the past several weeks due to the shutdown at Charlotte Douglas International Airport due to the lack of air traffic controllers. Members of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association planned to hand out pamphlets at the airport on Tuesday, the first payday air traffic controllers would not receive a paycheck, to let them know about the effects of the shutdown.
snap benefits to be paused on nov. 1
Another major area of concern is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) will pause benefits as of Nov. 1.
The agency issued a strong statement on its website saying that “Senate Democrats have voted 13 times to not fund the food stamp program, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Bottom line, the well has run dry. At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats. They can continue to hold out for healthcare for illegal aliens and gender mutilation procedures, or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can received critical nutrition assistance.”
North carolina joins multi-state lawsuit against usda
North Carolina was among 24 states and the District of Columbia that filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the USDA, stating that the pause in benefits is illegal.
More than 1.4 million North Carolinians rely on SNAP benefits, including more than 580,000 children, working families, older adults, veterans, and people with disabilities. More than 80% who receive benefits are working.
SNAP provides between $230 and $250 million in food benefits to over 600,000 households in the state.
North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson said the USDA wasn’t telling the truth when they said there isn’t any money left, pointing to a $6 billion emergency fund that Congress established for the agency for emergency use.
“The truth is, the department is choosing not to use the emergency money that they’ve been given,” he said during a Tuesday press conference announcing the lawsuit. “I believe the reason they’re doing that is to play shutdown politics. They are looking to ratchet up the pain in an already very painful moment. This is wrong and it’s against the law.”
Jackson said the USDA reversed course last week, from a Sept. 30 statement when they said they planned to tap the emergency fund.
In addition to the lawsuit, he said that they have also requested a temporary restraining order.
“So, in short, we are asking the court to act with emergency speed to meet this emergency,” Jackson stated. “I think there’s a very good chance that we get a favorable ruling that puts this on hold relatively soon. I hope that it happens before November 1st. There is some chance of that theoretically, but we are asking for the court to act as quickly as possible, given the circumstances.”
SNAP beneficiaries are advised to continue applying for and renewing their SNAP benefits. County DSS offices are open and processing applications to prevent backlogs. Any funds already on EBT cards are still available for use. People can also call 211 for assistance in finding resources for food.
Jackson said that while nonprofits like Interfaith Food Shuttle and the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, as well as food pantries and churches, do a great job, there is no way they will be able to meet the need if benefits are paused.
federal programs aiding in helene recovery also shut down
Programs to help with Hurricane Helene recovery, like FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, are also on hold with the shutdown. State officials have been critical of the program, as no applications for home buyouts had been approved, even before the shutdown.
“NC continues to feel impact as federal shutdown nears one month” was originally published on www.carolinajournal.com.
