Letters from an American October 29, 2025
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Oct 30, 2025 The discussion dives into the fallout from the government shutdown, highlighting Speaker Johnson's negotiation tactics. Air traffic controllers face their first zero paychecks, causing nationwide flight disruptions. Concerns mount over SNAP payments as a legal challenge emerges against the USDA for not using reserve funds. Premium tax credits are set to expire, raising health insurance costs. Meanwhile, rising economic uncertainty triggers mass layoffs and labor market weaknesses, alongside troubling shifts in immigration enforcement practices and presidential behavior.
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Shutdown's Immediate Human Costs
- The government shutdown is causing immediate, widespread harm to services like air traffic control and SNAP benefits.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson refuses recall while Senate and some Republicans seek targeted funding measures.
Pay Stoppage And Legal Pushback
- Air traffic controllers received their first zero paycheck and many called in sick, causing flight delays.
- Governors and attorneys general from 25 states sued the USDA over refusing to use SNAP reserves.
Legal Case Over SNAP Reserves
- The USDA holds $6 billion specifically for SNAP and over $23 billion in another fund, yet claims it cannot use reserves.
- The lawsuit argues that statutory text permits using contingency funds to maintain SNAP during an appropriations lapse.