What to expect in Arkansas as federal spending resumes
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The U.S. Capitol. Photo: Tom Brenner/Getty Image
The longest federal government shutdown in American history is over, allowing the resumption of food assistance and the payment of federal workers.
The big picture: President Trump signed a bill Wednesday night to reopen the government and officially end the 43-day shutdown after the House passed a bipartisan funding package, Axios' Kate Santaliz and Andrew Solender report.
Catch up quick: The government shut down Oct. 1 following a partisan disagreement over whether to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies.
- Eight Senate Democrats broke with their party in support of a bipartisan deal to reopen the government. Liberal groups had sharply criticized doing so.
Prior to the shutdown, the Council of Economic Advisers estimated that it would cost Arkansas $98 million in GDP per week and that consumer spending in the state would drop by $169 million per month.
State of play: Here's a quick look at how the end of the shutdown may affect Arkansans.
- Food: The Arkansas Department of Human Services announced Thursday that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients should expect to see their full November benefits by Friday. About 244,000 Arkansans rely on the program to help them afford food, including about 8,960 people in Benton County and 9,410 people in Washington County, according to DHS.
- Travel: The Northwest Arkansas National Airport was not one of the 40 airports directed to cut back on operations, but it was indirectly affected with a handful of canceled flights because it has flights to and from 19 of the directly affected airports. Air travel will likely take at least a few days to bounce back, Axios' Jason Lalljee writes.
- Economy: There are more than 14,000 civilian federal jobs in Arkansas. Those who went without pay may get checks as early as next week. The absence of their spending was calculated into the estimated statewide impact of $169 million per month.
What they're saying: "I'm encouraged by the progress in this package, but make no mistake, our job is not complete," Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Womack of Rogers said in a statement.
- The package delivers updated funding for pressing needs, but there are still nine full-year appropriations bills for Congress to pass, he said.
"Arkansans will immediately benefit from the certainty that full-year spending bills for USDA, the FDA, the VA and military construction projects" are secured, U.S. Sen. John Boozman of Rogers said in a statement shared with Axios.
- Boozman said he'd work to advance the other full-year funding bills.
What's next: The government is fully funded through January, but the bills passed by Congress this week deal with only about 10% of annual federal spending; more bills need lawmakers' attention.
- Another standoff between Republicans and Democrats could happen after Jan. 30.