What shutdown deal means for Michigan food stamps, flight delays, more

US Senate took first steps towards budget deal, clearing the way for possible end to federal government shutdown
Longest shutdown in history has interrupted food assistance benefits, jeopardized free preschool and kept federal workforce in limbo
Key payments, government functions in Michigan may still take time to return to normal once federal government reopens

The end of the longest government shutdown in US history is in sight after a temporary spending plan cleared the Republican-majority Senate despite opposition from both of Michigan’s Democratic members.

The US Senate voted 60-40 late Monday evening on a deal to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and other bipartisan initiatives for a full year, cover federal employee back pay and keep the rest of the government open through at least January.

The shutdown won’t end until the US House and President Donald Trump sign off on the deal, though House leadership signaled the chamber could vote on the legislation this week, and Trump has expressed support for the plan.

The tentative deal in Washington to reopen the government and resume federal funding comes as food assistance for 1.4 million Michigan residents remains in legal limbo and travel delays plague the state’s largest airport.

Michigan’s roughly 30,000 federal employees remain furloughed or continue to work without pay, and other government programs like Head Start are missing key grant payments that impact their ability to stay open.

Not included in the plan: an extension of health care subsidies Democrats have pushed for from the start, though Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he’d hold a vote on the issue by next month.

Here’s what it all means for Michigan.

What’s in the deal?

The deal agreed to by Senate Republicans and eight moderate Democrats would extend all government funding through Jan. 30, 2026 and fully fund the Department of Agriculture (USDA) — which administers food assistance and programs for new moms — as well as the legislative branch and veterans’ benefits for the next year.

The bill also includes back pay for federal employees who have been working without pay for the duration of the shutdown, including military, law enforcement, border agents, airport staff and others.

In Michigan, nearly 30,000 civilians work for the federal government. The Veterans Health Administration, the largest federal employer in Michigan, is housed under the Department of Veterans Affairs.

**What’s not in the deal?**

The temporary spending plan does not resolve the dispute over Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits set to expire at the end of the year.

In a party-line vote, Senate Republicans on Monday evening rejected an amendment to extend the credits by one year. Thune has promised to hold another Senate vote on the credits next month, but House Republicans have not made any similar pledge.

The federal subsidies, which were developed under the Biden administration in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, are used by about 484,000 Michiganders.

The Michigan League for Public Policy estimates that without the tax credits, families who use HealthCare.gov will see a $400 bump on their monthly premiums, which are already increasing significantly this year.

Did Michigan’s US senators back the deal?

No. US Sens. Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin, both Democrats, opposed the plan over concerns about health care costs.

“I’ve been really clear: You want me to vote on a deal, it’s got to do something to bring down the cost of health care,” Slotkin said Monday in a floor speech.

She blamed rising costs on Trump’s “big, beautiful” law, which cuts future Medicaid spending but did not extend the Affordable Care Act’s premium credits. She advocated for a one-year credit extension to give lawmakers more time to “fix the system.”

Peters echoed similar concerns in a weekend statement, but also said he was “relieved” the legislation would protect and increase resources for “desperately needed” food assistance.

What’s going on with food stamps?

A lot.

After a flurry of weekend court activity, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services on Monday afternoon directed its primary EBT vendor to resume full November payments to SNAP recipients.

“We are glad to be able to provide assistance to Michigan families to help them put food on the table,” MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel said in a statement. “The uncertainty, confusion, and frustration caused by the USDA’s request to block SNAP payments for the more than one million Michigan residents who rely on food assistance has been unfair, and in Michigan, we will continue to do everything we can to help those affected.”

The state has gone back and forth between pausing and continuing its full SNAP payments pending various court orders.

Funding for the program has been caught in a legal battle since the USDA announced it would suspend payments starting in November. A group of states, including Michigan, and advocacy groups successfully sued the federal government, arguing that SNAP should be funded using existing contingency money during the shutdown.

But following a Saturday order by the US Supreme Court, Michigan paused this month’s payments it had begun delivering earlier that week. According to state health officials, full benefits went out to SNAP recipients who get monthly benefits on the third, fifth and seventh of the month.

On Monday, the Trump administration continued to appeal the Supreme Court to block full funding for SNAP during the shutdown. The USDA notified state agencies over the weekend to “immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025.”

MDHHS did not respond to Bridge Michigan’s request for comment on whether it would comply with the federal memo.

The deal to end the shutdown remains “uncertain” but would fully fund SNAP through the end of the year and render the legal fight “moot,” Trump administration attorneys wrote in a Monday afternoon filing with the Supreme Court.

What about future SNAP payments?

SNAP beneficiaries who normally receive their payments on the ninth of the month should receive their full SNAP payment within the next 48 hours, MDHHS said Monday afternoon, while all other recipients are set to get food assistance allotments on their normally scheduled dates.

State officials have offered some assistance aimed at helping charitable food organizations backfill some of the $255 million Michigan spends on average for food assistance each month.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced a $4.5 million cash injection for Michigan’s food banks, and House Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, said he’s open to tapping into $30 million in reserve funds for helping feed the hungry while SNAP is paused.

Still, charities say there’s no good replacement for SNAP that adequately feeds everyone benefiting from the program.

Dr. Darienne Hudson, President and CEO of United Way for Southeastern Michigan, recently told Bridge that the organization’s 211 hotline is seeing between 700-800 calls a day, up from the usual 400-600 calls, and requests for food have doubled in recent weeks.

What about air travel?

The shutdown has resulted in significant delays and cancellations in the nation’s largest airports, including Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Wayne County.

That’s because air traffic controllers are paid through the federal government and have been working without pay since the start of the shutdown.

Last Friday, the Department of Transportation ordered a temporary reduction in flights at the country’s 40 busiest airports, citing “signs of stress in the system” due to staffing strains.

On Sunday alone, 562 flights going into and out of Detroit Metropolitan Airport were delayed, and 119 were canceled altogether, according to the tracking website FlightAware.

People with their luggage at the airport. — Travelers wait in lines at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025, in Detroit. (Ryan Sun/Associated Press)

In a Monday morning post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump suggested air traffic controllers who hadn’t taken time off during the shutdown should get a $10,000-per-person bonus “for distinguished service to our Country.”

“For those that did nothing but complain, and took time off, even though everyone knew they would be paid, IN FULL, shortly into the future, I am NOT HAPPY WITH YOU,” he continued.

Are Head Start programs still operating?

All but one of Michigan’s free Head Start preschool programs are still operating, though program coordinators of programs around the state fear a prolonged shutdown will lead to more closures.

After the federal government failed to renew a $1.5 million federal grant by Nov. 1, the Gogebic-Ontonagon Community Action Agency temporarily closed its Head Start program offering free education, meals and other services to young children and their families.

Eight other Michigan programs whose funding expired Nov. 1 were able to keep their doors open by cobbling together funds from local sources.

Michelle LaJoie, executive director of Community Action Alger-Marquette, said last week that Marquette’s Head Start program serving 256 kids is only funded through Friday, Nov. 14.

Should the shutdown drag into December or beyond, other Head Start programs around the state could also lose access to key federal funds. Another nine programs are expecting grant awards in December and January, according to the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential.

Those grants usually take months for the federal government to process, meaning funding may not immediately be available once the government reopens, said Susan Harding, chief executive officer of the Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency.

About 1,000 kids in Oakland County benefit from Head Start, she said. If the program doesn’t get its expected grant funding by Jan. 1, “we will not be able to open our doors when children come back from the winter holiday break.”

What if the shutdown continues?

For every week the shutdown extends, the White House Council of Economic Advisers predicts, Michigan’s gross state product will decline by another $361 million.

And the longer the shutdown lasts, the higher the risk for Michigan small businesses seeking loans, environmental reviews or federal permits, business groups have said. Delayed wages for federal employees also have businesses bracing for a drop in consumer spending.

Federal funding for assistance with paying utility bills is also at risk, a reality advocates say is dangerous as Michigan residents brace for winter weather.

US Rep. Hillary Scholten, D-Grand Rapids, sounded the alarm about future funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program during a Monday press conference, noting the state has been using leftover money to provide emergency assistance to the 430,000 Michigan residents but is expected to run out before the end of November.

Federal courts, national park properties and other agencies have all been operating at reduced staff capacity, which could lead to ongoing issues as the backlog piles up, and grant-funded research is on pause.

Medicare patients using telehealth services have also been required to reschedule to in-person appointments after rules that expanded virtual care in rural areas lapsed.