Politics Reporter
Kaia Hubbard is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C.
What to know on Day 37 of the government shutdown:
The government shutdown continues on Day 37 as lawmakers face new pressure to resolve the standoff after federal officials announced plans to slash airline capacity by 10% in dozens of high-volume areas due to air traffic controller shortages. The cuts are expected to be phased in starting Friday.
Meanwhile, bipartisan talks among senators aimed at ending the shutdown are ongoing, with some continuing to forecast a deal in the coming days even as Democrats appeared emboldened in their shutdown stance after the party’s sweep in key elections on Tuesday. Senate Democrats are expected to gather for a caucus meeting today.
President Trump pressured Republican senators to bring an end to the government shutdown on Wednesday following the Democratic sweep, while renewing his calls for GOP senators to scrap the filibuster. Doing away with the rule that requires 60 votes to advance most legislation would allow Republicans to fund the government and pass other legislation without Democratic votes. But Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the votes aren’t there to change the rule.
The Senate is not currently scheduled to vote on a House-passed measure today to end the shutdown, now the longest in history, after it failed to advance for the 14th time on Tuesday.
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SNAP recipients will now get up to 65% of November food stamp benefits, USDA says
Recipients of federal food benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will receive a higher portion of their monthly payments for November than initially expected, an official with the U.S. Department of Agriculture said late Wednesday.
Patrick Penn, who oversees food and nutrition services at the USDA, including SNAP, said in a court declaration that maximum allotments for food-stamp beneficiaries will be reduced by 35% for this month, instead of halved.
As a result, eligible Americans will receive up to 65% of their benefits, more than the initial 50% that states had been directed to implement earlier this week.
