At 12:01 a.m. Oct. 1, the federal government shut down after being unable to reach an agreement on how funding should be appropriated in the 2026 fiscal year. As federal employees are without pay and millions on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) see their benefits delayed, those who are meant to serve have failed to fulfill their roles.

As the shutdown persists, the situation will only worsen. We believe the wellbeing of the American people should be placed above partisan interests, and call for an end to the government shutdown. 

Oct 31., the day before SNAP was set to be suspended because of a lack of apparent funding, a federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration to fund the program from a contingency fund. Despite this, the 236,000 Arkansans, the majority of whom are either elderly, disabled, or children, that are enrolled in SNAP are expected to see delays in their November payment. Without benefits, these households are uncertain of where their next meal will come from.  

In the event of a government shutdown, federal employees are placed on temporary, unpaid leave called furlough. Since Oct. 1, an estimated 700,000 federal employees have been furloughed. Oct. 31, the Arkansas Department of Health Services (DHS), which provides reliable healthcare for eligible Arkansans, announced that they would be forced to place an additional 1,500 employees on furlough if the shutdown was to continue into early November. A growing number of federal employees without work and pay are forced to find other ways to support themselves and their families. This also leaves these government agencies unmanned and unable to support the community. 

When the shutdown ends, those on furlough will receive back payment. However, without an end in sight, the problem lies in the present. Without federal support, those who receive governmental assistance are told to seek out local food assistance programs such as food banks and churches. However, those organizations have limitations in who they can serve and how much. The same goes for the state, who has a finite amount of emergency funding to expend. 

We believe that the ultimate solution is for the shutdown to end. This begins with elected officials putting the interests of Americans first and setting aside partisan agendas. We call for the passing of an appropriations bill by Congress that is then signed by President Trump to put a necessary end to the government shutdown.