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.


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Trump sounds optimistic Democrats will come around on government funding

Trump said Monday that he hoped that Democrats would soon vote on a package to fund the government.

"All we want to do is have a vote of continuation. And it's the first time in history that a group has not voted for continuation. So, they're having a, they have what's called a Trump derangement problem. Have you heard about that problem? Because that's the only reason this could be possible," Trump said in an East Room ceremony honoring college baseball champion teams from Louisiana.

But Trump did seem optimistic that Democrats might soon come around on government funding.

"So, we're hoping the Democrats become much less deranged and that we will get the vote pretty soon. And I hear they're starting to feel that way too. They're starting to feel like they really have to do what's right for the country, and they will," Trump said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson was at the event and gave remarks praising the president, but he made no mention of the shutdown.

"And we want to thank you for your tremendous record and all you're doing right now. I mean this, this president has not only reduced taxes, as we said, we've cut fraud, waste and abuse out of government," Johnson said.

-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart


Jeffries predicts GOP will feel heat in November -- after start of open enrollment

Despite speculation that the start of the Affordable Care Act’s open enrollment period might provide an off ramp to the shutdown, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries signaled that even after Nov. 1, Democrats will continue the fight -- confident that public sentiment will support their decision to withhold their votes to reopen the government in the pursuit of health care reforms.

“If we don't address the Republican health care crisis in advance of open enrollment on November 1, it will become even more apparent to everyday Americans why we need to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, because by that point, tens of millions of people across the country will realize that their health insurance premiums, co-pays and deductibles have skyrocketed beyond what's affordable because of Republican inaction,” Jeffries predicted.

While Democrats have called for a permanent extension of the tax credits to the tune of $400 billion over the next decade, Republicans have rejected calls to negotiate while the government is shut down.

Nevertheless, Jeffries continues to signal a desire to engage in bipartisan negotiations -- with legislation to lower the cost of health care at the forefront of his demands.

“Our position has been that we are open, certainly, to anything bipartisan that emerges from the Senate in good faith, that reopens the government, but at the same time decisively addresses the Republican health care crisis, which includes, but is not limited to, extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits, because that needs to be done with urgency, given the fact that open enrollment starts on November 1,” he said.

The House cancelled legislative business again this week and lawmakers have been back in their districts for more than a month waiting for the gridlock to lift.

“It's extraordinary to me that for four consecutive weeks, House Republicans are on vacation. They've canceled votes week after week after week after week. Where are you?” Jeffries said. “I mean, you're in the legislative witness protection program. It's extraordinary that we're here again, fourth consecutive week, and House Republicans are nowhere to be found.”

Jeffries told reporters that he and Speaker Mike Johnson had a conversation over the weekend, but he refused to detail any of the conversation.

“Speaker Johnson and I had a conversation this weekend,” Jeffries deadpanned, stopping short of saying anything else about it. “Thank you everyone.”

-ABC News’ John Parkinson


Furloughs taking place at agency maintaining nuclear stockpile

Furloughs are taking place Monday at the National Nuclear Security Administration, which is responsible for overseeing the U.S. nuclear stockpile. Roughly 1,400 employees at NNSA will be given furlough notices and less than 400 workers will remain to safeguard the stockpile, according to a Department of Energy official.

"This morning, America’s nuclear security administration has begun furloughing federal employees due to the Schumer shutdown. I’m in Nevada today to meet with some of these critical workers and to ask Nevada’s leaders to help us end this shutdown," Energy Secretary Chris Wright wrote on X.

-ABC News' Justin Gomez


Johnson claims he'd administer oath to Grijalva 'on the 1st day we come back'

With the House on break for more than a month now, Speaker Mike Johnson insists he will administer the oath of office to Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva after the Senate votes to reopen the government -- resisting calls to swear her in amid the prolonged government shutdown.

"Rep. Grijalva won her race in the I think it was the last week of September after we had already gone out of session, so I will administer the oath to her, hopefully on the first day we come back legislative session," Johnson said. "I'm willing and anxious to do that."

While the question has followed the speaker throughout the shutdown, Johnson has shrugged off the delay -- decried by Democrats -- denying that his decision is related to Grijalva's intent to become the 218th signature on a discharge petition forcing a vote to release the Justice Department's full files on Jeffrey Epstein.

-ABC News' John Parkinson