Eyes on Washington: Shutdown Briefing – Day 24

Welcome to the Eyes on Washington: Shutdown Briefing. During the federal government shutdown, we will be sharing concise, client-focused updates to help you stay informed on key developments, legislative dynamics and potential impacts to your operations and federal engagement.

Breaking News

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins said that the shutdown forced a VA regional office in the Philippines to close, preventing more than 11,000 overseas veterans and family members from accessing benefits. Secretary Collins added that the department is experiencing a backlog of about 15,000 veterans who are waiting to enroll in transition assistance and career counseling. He warned that veterans who do not receive assistance might "turn away from the VA completely because they are frustrated."

Status Update

Today marks Day 24 of the federal government shutdown. Negotiations on reopening the government remain stalled.

Leadership Dynamics

• Democratic Leadership: Expresses concern about the impending funding shortfall to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) on Nov. 1 due to the government shutdown. U.S. House of Representatives Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said that the program has an emergency contingency fund of about $5 billion that could be used to avert funding shortages on November 1. He argued that Republicans are "trying to weaponize hunger," adding that the Republicans' One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R.1) cut tens of billions of dollars from the SNAP program.
• Republican Leadership: Continues to blame Democrats for prolonging the shutdown. Although a bill sponsored by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) to pay federal employees, service members and contractors during the shutdown failed in a 54-45 vote yesterday, he declared that he will continue advancing the bill. Sen. Johnson stated that Democrats' differences with the bill were "not insurmountable." He also indicated that he is "willing to talk" about limiting the president's ability to lay off employees during the shutdown.
• Bipartisan Engagement: The U.S. Senate is holding votes on the continuing resolution (CR), cloture and nominations, while the House convenes on a pro forma basis.

Executive Branch Developments

• Presidential Engagement: President Donald Trump traveled to Malaysia today to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting. The president will then go to Japan and South Korea next week, raising concerns that shutdown negotiations will further stall in the president's absence.
• Travel: U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the head of the air traffic controllers union held a news conference at Philadelphia International Airport. They reiterated the impact of the shutdown on air travel, stating that the number of daily delays caused by staffing shortages of controllers has risen 48 percent during the shutdown.
• Federal Funding: The White House announced that it will likely be unable to release October's inflation data on time. The data was initially scheduled to be published on November 13. However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has paused active data collection on inflation metrics while the government is shut down, which will delay the release of the October Consumer Price Index report.

Key Milestones Ahead

• Late October through November: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) may begin to experience funding shortfalls. Last week, the White House added funds from other programs and indicated that it will use tariff revenue to temporarily sustain the WIC program. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said there is insufficient funding to cover all November Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Administration officials are exploring ways to continue WIC and SNAP nutrition benefits, including potentially using tariff revenues.
• October 24: Federal civilian workers missed their first full paycheck.
• October 25: President Trump will attend the ASEAN meeting in Malaysia before traveling to Japan and Korea.
• October 31: House staff are expected to miss their paychecks. Members of Congress will continue to receive pay throughout the shutdown. Pentagon workers likely will be paid again by the administration using available balances in other accounts, as they were on October 15.
• November 1: The Affordable Care Act (ACA) open enrollment period begins. The House-passed CR does not include an extension of ACA tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of the year.
• November 4: Off-year gubernatorial elections are held in Virginia and New Jersey.
• November 7: Non-exempt federal employees will have worked one month without pay.

Strategic Considerations for Clients

• Agency Engagement: Clients should anticipate delays in regulatory reviews, permitting and federal communications.
• Contracting and Grants: Federal contractors may experience payment disruptions and limited access to agency personnel.
• Policy Positioning: The shutdown may create new leverage points in legislative negotiations. Clients with interests in appropriations, healthcare, defense and infrastructure should monitor developments closely.

Contact Us

Holland & Knight will continue to provide updates throughout the shutdown. For tailored guidance or strategic briefings, please contact one of our Public Policy & Regulation Group members below.

Todd Wooten
Dimitrios J. Karakitsos
Karl R. Koch
Sara E. Peters
Dennis S. Potter
Elizabeth Leoty Craddock

Information contained in this alert is for the general education and knowledge of our readers. It is not designed to be, and should not be used as, the sole source of information when analyzing and resolving a legal problem, and it should not be substituted for legal advice, which relies on a specific factual analysis. Moreover, the laws of each jurisdiction are different and are constantly changing. This information is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. If you have specific questions regarding a particular fact situation, we urge you to consult the authors of this publication, your Holland & Knight representative or other competent legal counsel.