5 Key Dates To Watch As Shutdown Drags On

Authored by Lawrence Wilson via The Epoch Times,

The financial fallout from the federal government shutdown, now in its fourth week, is expected to intensify over the next 10 days, as billions of dollars in salaries and other payments will not be disbursed.

Senate Republicans and Democrats have been deadlocked on a stopgap funding resolution that would fund the government temporarily through Nov. 21 while Congress continues to negotiate 2026 spending.

Nearly all Democrats have voted against the measure, saying they will not reopen the government until Republicans negotiate over their health care spending proposals to prevent insurance premiums from going up next year.

Republicans have said that the proposals are unserious and alleged that the shutdown is a stunt by Democratic leaders to appease their party’s left wing.

Here are the key dates on which the pain of the shutdown will become more acute for various segments of the nation. Leaders in both parties appear to believe that these milestones will increase political pressure on their opponents.

Oct. 24: No Paychecks for Many Workers

Many federal workers are likely to receive no pay on Oct. 24, ordinarily a payday, after receiving partial paychecks on Oct. 10.

The Congressional Budget Office estimated that 750,000 federal workers would be furloughed without pay during the shutdown. The Bipartisan Policy Center, an independent think tank, puts the number at about 700,000 based on its review of federal agencies’ contingency plans.

That results in a $400-million-per-day hit to both the employees and the communities in which they live. Federal employees reside in all 50 states, although concentrations are heaviest in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

Another 690,000 federal employees are considered essential and are working without pay.

A Republican proposal to pay federal employees who are required to work during the shutdown failed to advance in the Senate on Oct. 23.

Democrats objected that the bill did not cover all federal workers during the shutdown. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said he would introduce a bill that includes pay for furloughed workers.

Oct. 28: No Pay for Air Traffic Controllers

Payroll schedules vary among federal agencies, so the nation’s 13,000 air traffic controllers and 40,000 Transportation Security Administration employees have a scheduled payday on Oct. 28, which the shutdown will likely cause them to miss.

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy told reporters on Oct. 23 that air traffic controllers are “angry” and “frustrated” over working without pay. Some have decided not to report to work even though, as essential workers, they are required to continue working during the shutdown, and some are forced to take second jobs, he said.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, has introduced legislation to secure pay for essential air personnel during the shutdown, but it has not yet received a vote.

Oct. 31: No Pay for Active Duty Military

The nation’s 1.1 million active duty service members will likely go without a paycheck on Oct. 21.

Service members were paid on Oct. 15, as the Trump administration used unspent military research and development funding to issue one-time checks. That money must be repaid when the shutdown ends.

The Senate rejected a military personnel appropriations bill for 2026 that would have authorized pay for the troops.

Nov. 1: Changes in Federal Benefits

Premiums for 2026 health coverage under the Affordable Care Act Marketplace are expected to increase over 2025 rates when the open enrollment period begins on Nov. 1. The Affordable Care Act is President Barack Obama’s health care law, also known as Obamacare.

One reason for the increase is that some temporary subsidies for many marketplace users are set to expire at the end of the year.

The expiring subsidies were created during the COVID-19 pandemic to allow people earning more than 400 percent of the federal poverty level—equating to $128,600 for a family of four—to receive federal financial assistance in paying for health coverage. The enhanced subsidies also provided additional financial aid for many people who already qualified for the program.

More than 22 million people benefit from the enhanced subsidies.

These subsidies are a key point of contention in the shutdown, as Democrats want them to be made permanent as a condition to reopen the government.

“You’re going to hear people around the country wondering what’s going on,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) told reporters on Oct. 23. “Yeah, I think there’s pressure.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said he believes that Republicans will feel that pressure the most.

“Everyday Americans are having to pay $1,000 or $2,000 more per month in order to access health insurance,” Jeffries told reporters on Oct. 23. “Yet Donald Trump and Republicans continue to be nowhere to be found.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Democrats are responsible for increased insurance rates because they set the expiration date on the subsidies that they now seek to extend.

“During the COVID pandemic, Democrats created temporary Obamacare credits,” Johnson said on Oct. 22. “Democrats then voted to extend those credits. They set the expiration date. And then, when they held the majority in the Senate, it was Democrats who chose not to extend those credits beyond this year.”

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will not be fully funded in November if the shutdown continues, the Department of Agriculture stated on Oct. 10.

About 42 million people receive SNAP benefits each month. The New York Department of Social Services has warned beneficiaries that SNAP benefits could be delayed.

Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) said Democrats would be responsible for any lapse in SNAP funding.

“They continue to not come to the table, putting politics in front of the people that they serve,” Britt said on Oct. 23.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) told reporters, “We’ll do everything possible to use other sources of funds, whether state or federal, to fill the gap on SNAP benefits.”

Nov. 4: Gubernatorial Elections

Virginia and New Jersey have gubernatorial elections this year that could offer a clue as to which party voters blame for the shutdown.

Democrats believe that voters are siding with their handling of the shutdown. Jeffries, addressing the 2026 midterm elections, told reporters, “Republicans know that if the election were held today, they would lose and lose decisively.”

Johnson on Oct. 22 said, “The American people are not stupid,” indicating that they understand that the Republicans have their interests at heart.

President Donald Trump said on Oct. 21 that he would not speak with Democratic leaders about their health care proposals until after the government is reopened.

Trump will travel to Asia for meetings with leaders from Oct. 26 to Oct. 29. He is expected to return on Oct. 30.