Relief for farmers, frustration for others: Shutdown hits day 22
On day 22 of the government shutdown, the White House announced that some USDA offices would reopen and reroute funds to support farmers, even as much of the government remains closed.
The USDA will reopen 2,100 county offices to help farmers access $3 billion in aid. The limited available staff will process loans, insurance, and disaster relief for farmers and ranchers. This move comes after farmers expressed concerns about the uncertainty caused by the shutdown.
Despite this relief for farmers, millions of Americans continue to face uncertainty, including federal workers who are not receiving pay and recipients of food benefits. Political leaders from both parties have blamed each other for the ongoing shutdown.
"Forty-two million people across America are gonna suffer from those SNAP benefits that they count on, right before Thanksgiving, because Chuck Schumer and Democrats are so angry with President Trump that they just want to find a way to say no," said Rep. Steve Scalise, the Republican majority leader.
"They'd rather inflict this kind of pain on hardworking federal civil servants and the American people than provide health care that's affordable to everyday Americans, working-class Americans, and middle-class Americans," said Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic minority leader.
The Senate is expected to take up another vote on Wednesday, but it is anticipated to fail once again.
At the heart of the shutdown is a dispute over money and health care. Democrats want to keep the expanded Affordable Care Act tax credits in place, which are set to expire at the end of the year. They've argued that those credits help millions of people afford insurance. Republicans have argued these credits are too expensive and claimed they're willing to negotiate, but only after the government is reopened.
If the expanded Affordable Care Act tax credits expire, a one-person household earning $40,000 could see its maximum annual premium double from about $1,700 to $3,400. A family of four making around $72,000 could see their costs increase from roughly $2,100 to more than $5,300.
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