If you’re traveling to the United States right now, you might be in for a disappointment - especially if your plans include visiting sites funded by the federal government. In Washington, D.C., for example, all the major attractions such as the Smithsonian museums, the National Gallery of Art, and the Air and Space Museum are closed. The reason: a federal government shutdown. It began on the first of this month and has now stretched beyond three weeks - the second-longest shutdown in U.S. history. The longest one lasted 35 days during the first Trump administration from late 2018 to early 2019.

For travelers, this means inconvenience and some frustration. But for many Americans, the impact is far more severe - they’re worrying about their next meal. In South Korea, if the National Assembly fails to pass the government’s budget on time, a temporary budget can be enacted to keep things running. The U.S., however, operates differently. Federal spending requires an approved law, and if Congress fails to pass a budget bill, the government cannot operate - except for programs with mandatory spending or multi-year funding. Salaries for federal employees and contractors don’t fall under “mandatory spending,” meaning they’re either furloughed or forced to work without pay. Local media report that about 750,000 federal employees have been furloughed, and when you include those still working without pay, the number of unpaid workers is much higher.

That’s why many of them have turned to food banks. In Landover, Maryland - about a 30-minute drive from Washington, D.C. - hundreds of federal employees and contractors lined up for food distribution. Normally, the local food bank serves low-income families, but with the prolonged shutdown, it organized a special event just for affected government workers and contractors. Organizers expected about 150 people, but 370 showed up - more than twice the estimate. They said they had never seen such numbers, even during their regular low-income food drives. Many federal employees said it was surreal to run into colleagues there, admitting they never imagined standing in a food bank line when they thought government jobs were supposed to be stable.

If this isn’t resolved by next Monday, 42 million people will be affected.

Beyond federal employees, low-income Americans who rely on federal assistance are also at risk. Programs like Head Start (which provides early education for low-income children) and SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) depend on federal funding. Head Start offers free educational opportunities for children under age five - and also allows parents to work while their kids are in care. About 800,000 children benefit from the program each year. If funding stops, those children lose their education, and their parents lose their income.

SNAP, which provides food-purchasing assistance to low-income families, currently serves 42 million Americans - more than 10 percent of the U.S. population. If SNAP funds run out, it literally means hunger for those families. The program’s funding is disbursed on the first day of each month, so unless Congress passes a budget by Monday the 27th - accounting for processing time - millions could lose access to food assistance. So far, the Senate has attempted 11 votes to break the stalemate, all of which have failed. Democratic leaders have requested a meeting with President Trump to resolve the shutdown, but the president has stated he will only meet once the government reopens.

(KBS News, October 23, 2025)