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Low-income Americans relying on SNAP benefits faced shortages, and mobility was hampered with nearly 20,000 delayed flights nationwide due to staffing shortages. This chaos disrupted millions of travelers—an estimated 5.2 million—who experienced flight delays that interfered with personal and professional commitments. The broader economic landscape also suffered, as billions in economic activity was lost, hurting consumer sentiment and decimating the travel and hospitality industries. America's gross domestic product (GDP) was predicted to shrink by up to two percentage points in the fourth quarter due to the shutdown, according to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office.
Government Data and Policy Challenges