USDA says SNAP benefits won't be issued on Nov. 1

A notice on top of its website says "the well has run dry."

ByKevin Shalvey, Megan Forrester, Ivan Pereira, and Alexandra Hutzler
Last Updated: October 26, 2025, 5:58 PM EDT

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

Here's how the news is developing.
Oct 17, 2025, 2:14 PM EDT

Dem targets Trump's ballroom with restrictive legislation during shutdown

California Democratic Rep. Mark Takano is taking aim at President Trump’s ballroom at the White House -- introducing legislation to prohibit the use of federal funds in its construction during a shutdown.

The White House has previously said that the construction of the ballroom is funded by private donations and that effort would continue during the ongoing government shutdown.

The bill is unlikely to pass in a Congress with Republican majorities in both chambers coupled with the president's veto power.

-ABC News' John Parkinson

Oct 17, 2025, 1:21 PM EDT

Federal courts have run out of money; only limited operations until shutdown ends

Starting Monday, all federal courts will no longer have funding to sustain full, paid operations.

While judges will continue to serve with pay, members of the nation's 33,000-court staff will either perform limited tasks unpaid or be put on furlough.

It will be up to each individual court to triage which cases and duties warrant unpaid work. There will likely be delays in cases up and down the judiciary.

The Supreme Court remains unaffected as it is not subject to annual appropriations.

-ABC News' Devin Dwyer

Oct 17, 2025, 12:46 PM EDT

House expected to be out of session next week

House Republicans leaders officially canceled votes for next Monday, Oct. 20 as the shutdown continues.

Speaker Mike Johnson plans to keep the House on an indefinite 48-hour notice return, meaning the House will be out again all next week unless there is Senate action to resolve the government shutdown.

The U.S. Capitol in Washington, October 15, 2025.
Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters

Next week will be the fourth conservative week the House has been on recess. The House took its last vote on Sept. 19 and was also on recess the week of Sept. 22 for the Jewish holidays.

There are no House committee hearings or markups scheduled for next week.

ABC News' Lauren Peller

Oct 17, 2025, 12:44 PM EDT

Speaker Johnson issues apology to Americans 'suffering' as shutdown continues

House Speaker Mike Johnson reflected on another week of the shutdown -- issuing a public apology to the millions of Americans who are "suffering."

"I just feel like we ought to apologize," Johnson said at a news conference on Friday, Day 17 of the shutdown. "I hate that we have to do this. I don't want to be here any more than you do talking about this subject. It is so difficult to be a happy warrior when you know that so many millions of American people are suffering," he said.

Johnson blamed Democrats for the ongoing shutdown -- calling on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer again to reopen the government.

"We're afraid that Americans are going to continue to suffer at the hands of Democrats' political games," he said.

ABC News' John Parkinson, Selina Wang and Lauren Peller

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