Government shutdown hits Day 24 with no deal in sight

States are warning struggling Americans who rely on food stamps to pay for groceries that they may miss out on benefits come November.

"Starting October 16, SNAP [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] benefits will not be paid until the federal government shutdown ends and funds are released to PA," reads a notice from the Pennsylvania state website.

New Jersey, Maryland, New York and Texas are among the other states that have issued similar notices.

The wave of announcements come after the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the federal food stamps program, issued a letter to state agencies on Oct. 10 saying that if the lapse in appropriations continues, there will be "insufficient funds" to pay full November SNAP benefits.

Reached for comment, the White House referred CBS News to the USDA, which then shared the letter it sent to states. Both declined to comment on what a lapse in funding could mean for the millions of Americans who rely on the program. 

Read more here.

Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin is seen during votes at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 23, 2025. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Speaking to reporters after Thursday's votes, GOP Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said he will continue discussions aimed at passing his bill that would pay federal employees, service members and contractors who continue to work during a lapse in funding. He said Democrats should support advancing the bill to begin the amendment process and that their differences were "not insurmountable."

"The way to do it is get on the bill and then start working out the differences and hopefully pass it next week. Now, I fear it won't get cloture. That doesn't mean the discussions won't continue," he said. "I talked to both Sen. Van Hollen and Sen. Peters. We'll get our staffs working on this, and see if we can iron out differences, and maybe we can come to an agreement next week."

Johnson noted the differences between his bill and the Democratic proposals, namely that his version would apply to all future shutdowns, not just the current impasse: "I want to make this permanent. I want to stop playing brinkmanship. I want to stop playing with people's lives."

He also said he is "willing to talk" about restricting the president's ability to lay off employees during a shutdown, but doesn't want to "completely hamstring" the White House.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune speaks on the Senate floor on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. Senate TV

On the Senate floor Thursday afternoon, Majority Leader John Thune commented on the failed vote to advance the bill to pay federal workers, and expressed exasperation at his Democratic colleagues.

"I don't know how you would explain — if you have any federal employees — how you would vote against something that would make sure that, in the middle of a government shutdown, if they continue to work, that they get paid. That's all it was. Very simple, very straightforward," Thune said. "I think the other side is in a very bad headspace right now, to vote against something like that." 

He continued: "If you have any federal employees in your state, obviously a lot of them here in this area, all of our staffs are currently not getting paid. Sen. Johnson tried to correct that today by calling up a bill which we just voted on and which once again Democrats here in this chamber voted against."

Thune said he "can't explain what's going on on the other side of the aisle, but they consistently come down here and vote against paying people who are working, working every single day and not getting paid."

States warn SNAP benefits may stop in November amid government shutdown

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