Historic US Government Shutdown: Hunger, Economic Crisis amid Political Deadlock

DID Press: With more than 40 days of the federal government shutdown, the hunger crisis in the United States has become one of the biggest concerns for the population. Reports indicate that the shutdown is causing over $1.1 billion in economic losses daily and has left millions of citizens struggling to meet basic living needs.

The unprecedented U.S. government shutdown, stemming from deep disagreements between Congress and the White House, has triggered a widespread economic and livelihood crisis. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the shutdown costs the U.S. over $1 billion per day, while support programs, including the SNAP food assistance program, have been suspended.

Over 42 million Americans who previously benefited from SNAP are now unable to secure daily meals. Domestic media report long lines at food banks and growing public concern over widespread hunger.

Alongside the crisis caused by the government shutdown, previous U.S. tariff policies have driven food prices to unprecedented levels. The Huffington Post reported: “Trump cannot hide the rising cost of food with lies.” Prices for items like coffee, sugar, and seafood have risen directly due to these tariff policies.

A recent survey by Pre-ADM shows that over 77% of Americans are worried about increasing hunger, and 83% fear that families may be forced to skip meals. Newsweek reported that with federal employee paychecks halted and social benefits cut off, millions of American households are living in unstable and critical conditions.

The impact of the shutdown has extended beyond U.S. borders. Thousands of local employees at American military bases in Europe have been denied pay, forcing some European governments to temporarily cover these salaries. Germany’s Finance Ministry announced that it would temporarily guarantee the salaries of 11,000 local staff working at U.S. bases.

In the transportation sector, staff shortages at air traffic control centers have led to the cancellation of over 2,000 flights in the U.S. According to FlightAware, if the shutdown continues, flight reductions of up to 20% are expected.

As the economic and social crisis deepens, Time magazine published a report titled “In Defense of U.S. Hypocrisy,” which defends certain moral contradictions in U.S. domestic and foreign policy as a “necessity for survival”—an indirect acknowledgment of the gap between claims and the realities of a society now struggling to provide basic sustenance for its citizens.