On October 28, local time, the U.S. Senate voted 54 to 45, and once again failed to pass a procedural vote to advance the "Fiscal Year 2025 Continuous Appropriation and Extension Act" aimed at ending the government's "shutdown". This is also the 13th vote of the bill that has not yet reached the required threshold, which means that the government's "shutdown" will continue.

At present, the second longest "shutdown" in the history of the U.S. federal government is continuing to impact all aspects of American society. For tens of millions of low-income people in the United States, the biggest impact is probably the "Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program" (SNAP) that has been running for decades will be suspended for the first time in history.

How federal emergency funds are used, the two parties are now divided

According to a report on the US "Politico" website, affected by the government's continued "shutdown", the US Department of Agriculture announced that it will suspend its "Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program"(SNAP) and stop distributing food relief starting November 1. Currently, this project covers approximately 42 million people, accounting for approximately one-eighth of the total U.S. population, most of whom are low-income groups and people with disabilities. After the suspension of the SNAP project, their lives will be unsustainable.On Monday, 25 Democratic-held states and the capital, Washington, filed lawsuits against the federal government, demanding the use of federal emergency funds.to maintain this project.

Screenshot of a report on the US "Politico" website

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said in September it intended to use it during the "shutdown"Federal Emergency FundsSNAP continues to operate, but on November 25 this month, the Ministry of Agriculture announced the suspension of the project and will stop providing food relief on November 1.

According to a number of U.S. media reports, the Department of Agriculture has Congress.More than $5 billion in emergency funds have been allocatedused to fund SNAP in emergencies, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the emergency fund was designed to address unforeseen events such as natural disasters,The current "shutdown" does not qualify for the fund because the "shutdown" was created by Democrats¡£The USDA also said emergency funds are used to supplement SNAP benefits during such incidents.Suspected of breaking the law¡£

In this regard, the U.S."Capitol Hill" bluntly stated that the Ministry of Agriculture's various rhetoric was obviouslyMaximise pressure on Senate Democrats to force them to support the Republican spending bill to restart the government.

U.S. Congressional Mountain Journal website

Professor Li Haidoon of the Institute of International Relations of the Faculty of Diplomacy:The battle over the use of federal emergency fundsIt is the latest "typical" embodiment of the fierce struggle between American political parties:

The Democratic Party is trying to alleviate the dissatisfaction of low-income groups with American politics by pushing the federal government to maintain the "Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program" and maintain this group's support for the Democratic Party.

The Republican-led federal government refused to use emergency funds on the one handPut the blame for the difficulty of implementing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the government's "shutdown" on the Democratic PartyOn the one hand, it also shows,The Republican administration also considers funding for food aid at the federal level as part of cuts in government spending,This reduces subsidies for low-income groups.

The dispute over the use of emergency funds reflectsThe two-party struggle in the United States has disconnected from the right track for the welfare of the American people, which is the tragedy of American politics.

The second long "stop" in history continues to shock American society

At present, the "shutdown" of the U.S. federal government has entered its 29th day, and its impact on all levels of American society has become increasingly serious. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on the 28th that starting from that day, air traffic controllers will not be able to receive salaries, and flight delays or cancellations will increase. With the delay in the disbursement of housing assistance and energy subsidies, the speed of drug approvals by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration has slowed down. Museums and national parks across the country have closed or shortened their opening hours, and ordinary people have become the most affected by the "shutdown". group.

The chaos caused by the "shutdown" has caused widespread dissatisfaction from all walks of life across the country. Although the two parties in the United States are well aware of this, they have made no achievements. Instead, they use various occasions to attack each other and "shake the blame".Li Haidong, Professor, Institute of International Relations, Foreign Affairs University£º

The phenomenon of two-party fighting in the United States is difficult to eradicate, and the situation of political scattering is even more difficult to avoid.

The current ¡°stop-down¡± tragedy also reflects the failure of the mechanisms of decentralization and balancing pursued by the United States.

The journalist swim.

The editor.

Signed by Jiang Zemin.

Producer | Liu Yiyao