What Does The Impact Look Like Locally? Updated 10-29-2025
As the second-longest government shutdown lingers on, The Concho Observer looks at what kind of help is available for those being impacted by the loss of a paycheck or changes in benefits. We will continue to update this page.
UTILITIES – The City of San Angelo has suspended utility payments and cutoff for federal employees during the government shutdown.
TUITIONS – Angelo State University says that it will cover tuition and fees for any of its active-duty military students in the event that their military Tuition Assistance funding gets canceled due to the ongoing federal government shutdown.
RENTS – The Concho Observer has requested information from property management at The Boulevard and River Ranch apartments, along with Pinnacle Property Management all of whom were asked if rents would be suspended or deferred for federal employees in San Angelo.
At the time of publish we have not received a response.
STATE ASSISTANCE – Federal workers affected by the government shutdown are considered “laid off” from their jobs. If you are affected by the government shutdown, you can apply for benefits as soon as the shutdown occurs from the Texas Workforce Commission. Apply online here, or call 800-939-6631 to speak with a customer service representative.
FOOD BANKS – View the current schedules for food pantries and meal sites in the Concho Valley here.
State News
SNAP Cutoff Could Hurt Texas Grocers: The Texas Tribune reports those who rely on SNAP to buy groceries for themselves and their families make up about 12% of all grocery sales nationwide, according to the National Grocers Association. Experts say the sudden loss of that income will mean SNAP recipients have less money to spend in Texas grocery stores.
“Once all those benefits are exhausted, it will be a significant impact on sales in the stores depending on the size of the store and the location of the store, then it will impact product, and then in the long term, it impacts employment,” said Gary Huddleston, the grocery industry consultant for the Texas Retailers Association, a trade association that represents retailers and grocery stores in the state.
The start of each new month is when an average of $400 a month for qualified individuals is loaded on to a debit-like card that can then be used to purchase groceries. About $614 million flows into the state each month through the SNAP program.
Grocery retailers typically time larger shipments of goods to the start of the month to coincide with the reloading of those cards, Huddleston said. In the short term, simply the threat of a SNAP cutoff is creating headaches for grocers who stand to eat the cost of perishable products that are not purchased, Huddleston said.
Larger grocery companies like H-E-B and Kroger will be better equipped to handle disruptions to its regular delivery schedule, Huddleston said. However, smaller grocers and convenience stores, particularly those located in areas with high enrollment in the SNAP program, make up a majority of the stores that accept SNAP credits and they have less wiggle room to navigate the financial strain on their customer base.
National News
Why did the Government Shutdown?
Spending bills require more support in order to pass, 60 votes are needed. Congress could not agree on certain measures within the 2026 spending bill, which would have funded government services past October 1, when the previous budget expired.
Democrats want an extension of health insurance tax credits, and a reversal of the drastic cuts to Medicaid which were included in the reconciliation bill earlier this year.
Current estimates from the Kaiser Family Foundation estimate tens of millions would lose medicaid assistance over the next ten years as a result of the funding cuts.
A Continuing Resolution to avoid the shutdown was passed in the House, but did not pass in the Senate.
Has There Been Any Serious Progress?
News out of Washington says no, despite rumors:
Senators Issue Conflicting Statements: In Washington, CBS News reports that Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) says negotiations have “ticked up significantly”, with Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC) adding he feels the end is drawing near. A few moments earlier, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) pushed back on the suggestion that the shutdown is winding down, saying that he has not seen the kind of consensus required.
Democrats Maintain Their Healthcare Position: Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) reiterated the opposition parties position: that the proposed cuts to Medicaid will result in millions losing healthcare access, and the possible deaths of tens of thousands due to this lack of care, placing the blame squarely on tax cuts for the highest earners and corporations.
Federal, State Lawmakers Grapple with Austerity Measures
States Sue To Fund SNAP: On Oct. 28, California along with 19 other states filed a complaint for injunction against the USDA for what they describe as “arbitrary and capricious” suspension of SNAP benefits. California has announced it will authorize $80 million in state funds to “stabilize food bank food distribution and offset delays in federal benefits.”
Bills Introduced To Protect Federal Workers: From the Virginia Mercury, Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine joined 16 other Senate Democrats in introducing the Federal Employee Civil Relief Act, a bill intended to protect federal employees, federal contractor staff and their families from evictions, foreclosures, repossessions and defaults during a funding lapse.
The legislation would halt evictions or foreclosures, stop repossession of vehicles or other property, prevent negative credit impacts, pause student loan default consequences, and let workers stay current on bills and insurance premiums — protections that would remain in place for the duration of a shutdown plus 30 days afterward.
A similar bill was introduced in the House by Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA).
Judge Halts Federal Layoffs For Now: From NPR, A federal judge in San Francisco has indefinitely halted the Trump administration’s mass layoffs of federal employees during the government shutdown.
The decision came almost two weeks after U.S. District Judge Susan Illston temporarily paused thousands of layoffs, known as RIFs, or reductions-in-force, at agencies where the federal employee unions that brought the lawsuit, including the American Federation of Government Employees, have members or bargaining units.
