USDA says SNAP benefits won't be issued on Nov. 1
A notice on top of its website says "the well has run dry."
The Department of Agriculture has posted a notice on its website warning that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits won't be issued on Nov. 1.
"Bottom line, the well has run dry," reads the notice, which also blames Democrats for the second-longest shutdown in U.S. history.
Republican and Democratic lawmakers remain at a stalemate on finding a government funding solution. The Senate has continued to fail to advance bill that would reopen the government until Nov. 21. The House remains out of session next week.
Key Headlines
Leavitt calls judge who blocked National Guard to Portland as 'untethered in reality'
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to a judge blocking the Trump administration's attempt to deploy members of the California National Guard to Portland, Oregon, calling the judge "untethered in reality."
The judge, a Trump appointee, ordered that the conditions in Portland were "not significantly violent or disruptive" to justify federal takeover of the National Guard, and that the president's claims about the city were "simply untethered to the facts."
Leavitt also said Trump "wants to help these local leaders who have been completely ineffective in securing their own cities."
"It's a shame that we see in some cities that their mayors are refusing to cooperate because they don't like Donald Trump," Leavitt added.
Trump hasn't spoken to Democratic senators amid shutdown, Leavitt says
Asked by a reporter during a press briefing whether President Donald Trump has spoken to any Democratic senators amid the shutdown, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said he hasn't, to her knowledge.
She said he has been apprised of the ongoing shutdown and has spoken with House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, "who are in touch with, of course, moderate Democrats and Democrats across the board, who we understand, hopefully, want to do the right thing by their constituents to reopen the government."
"His position is very clear. There's nothing to negotiate. Just reopen the government and then we can talk about all the important issues facing our country," she said.
No layoffs have occurred since shutdown, White House says
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said no federal employees have been laid off despite the ongoing government shutdown.
But if the shutdown continues, Leavitt said layoffs will be an "unfortunate consequence."
"If this shutdown continues, layoffs are going to be an unfortunate consequence," Leavitt said.
She added that "thousands of federal workers" have been furloughed due to the shutdown.
'There's nothing for us to negotiate': Johnson
Amid the government shutdown, Speaker Mike Johnson said "there's nothing" to negotiate and that "the ball is in the court of the Senate Democrats" to reopen the government.
"There's nothing for us to negotiate. The House has done its job," Johnson said during a press conference on Monday.
Johnson indicated there would be a willingness among Republicans to discuss "fixing" health care with Democrats, but not until the GOP stopgap funding measure is passed.
He said that Republicans "want to improve health care," but right now Democrats have "decided they would pick a fight with health care."
When asked about House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' challenge to a debate, Johnson called Jeffries' actions "theatrics" and said that he already "had his shot."