Shutdown Day 32: Care Cannot Wait

Shutdown Day 32: Care Cannot Wait. While federal workers are promised back pay, contractors and caregivers lose income they’ll never recover. Professionals Who Care stands with those on the frontlines of the shutdown’s impact.

By Mark Fukae - Director of Advocacy - Professionals Who Care

Shutdowns are not abstractions. They are direct assaults on the care economy - destabilizing families, professionals, and the systems we rely on. On Day 32 of the federal shutdown, bipartisan negotiations remain stalled, ACA subsidies hang in the balance, and states are absorbing the fallout.

Two federal judges - in Rhode Island and Massachusetts - have ordered the administration to use contingency funds to continue SNAP benefits, calling the suspension “arbitrary and capricious” and warning of “irreparable harm.” Yet the administration has asked courts to “clarify how we can legally fund SNAP,” leaving 42 million Americans uncertain if their benefits will arrive in time.

Impact on Professionals:

• Federal employees: 737,000 remain unpaid. “I’ve got two kids in college and a mortgage. Missing even one paycheck means I’m putting tuition on a credit card.” - USDA worker, CBS News.

• Contractors: Many will never recover lost income. “Unlike federal employees, we don’t get back pay. Every day the shutdown drags on, I’m losing income I’ll never recover.” - IT contractor, Washington Post.

• Child care providers: Head Start programs risk closure for 65,000 children. “If Head Start closes, I’ll have to tell 40 families there’s no place for their kids.” - Head Start Director, Action for Children.

Unsustainable Stopgaps:   The Pentagon has reprogrammed $8 billion from research and development accounts to cover military pay. Families’ food security now depends on emergency judicial orders. Neither is sustainable.

By the Numbers:

• 32 days - length of the shutdown as of Nov. 1.

• 42 million - SNAP recipients temporarily protected by court order.

• 6.8 million - WIC participants still at risk.

• $14 billion - projected GDP loss if shutdown persists.

Policy Guardrails:   Shutdowns are a choice. A Hybrid AUTO‑CR would guarantee continuity for families and caregivers while still requiring Congress to negotiate appropriations. Congress must also adopt a Universal Caregiver Bill of Rights to ensure families and workers are never again collateral damage.

Call to Action (Professionals Who Care):

• 📞 Contact your U.S. Representative: Demand a bipartisan CR that secures civilian payrolls, WIC, and SNAP.

• 🗣️ Call your U.S. Senators: Insist ACA premium subsidies be extended now.

• 🔗 Share this update with your professional networks.

👉 Read the full analysis and frontline testimony on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/therevenueneutralcaregiver/p/our-lives-on-hold-day-32-snap-in?r=6a52ih&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true  

👉 Join and support Professionals Who Care: https://professionalswhocare.org  

👉 Sign the petition for durable guardrails: Change.org Petition

References

1. NBC News. “Federal judge orders Trump administration to pay SNAP benefits out of contingency fund.” Nov. 1, 2025.

2. Fox News. “Two judges rule Trump admin must keep SNAP benefits in place as shutdown drags on.” Oct. 31, 2025.

3. ABC News. “Trump says he has asked court to ‘clarify’ SNAP ruling with funding set to lapse.” Nov. 1, 2025.

4. USA Today. “Federal judges say they’ll require Trump administration to pay SNAP benefits.” Oct. 31, 2025.

5. Detroit Free Press. “Court order can’t restore SNAP benefits ‘overnight,’ Nessel says.” Oct. 31, 2025.

6. USA Today. “Who is affected as SNAP benefits end on Saturday, Nov. 1?” Nov. 1, 2025.

7. The Hill. “Court ruling keeps SNAP benefits flowing, for now.” Oct. 31, 2025.

8. Politico. “Nearly 42 million Americans lose their food stamp benefits.” Nov. 1, 2025.

9. CBS News. “Judges say Trump administration must continue paying SNAP food stamp benefits during shutdown.” Oct. 31, 2025.