The programme helps 40 million low-income Americans afford groceries - but the government shutdown has funds running dry.

A prolonged shutdown of the U.S. government amid a standoff over funding between Republicans and Democrats in Congress could dent economic growth in the fourth quarter, but much of the lost output would be recovered when normal operations resume.

Three weeks into a U.S. government shutdown, Republicans who control Congress have begun talking about possible next steps in what has been a

The U.S. economy remains largely unscathed by the government shutdown, but the nation could risk economic peril if the impasse deepens into a long-term standoff, some economists told ABC News.

The price increases remained milder than feared, keeping the US central bank on track to cut interest rates next week.

Additionally, Trump has ensured that federal immigration agents, U.S. Border Patrol officers, FBI special agents and active-duty military personnel continue receiving paychecks during the government shutdown, even as hundreds of thousands of civilian federal workers are furloughed or are working without pay.

WASHINGTON -- Wednesday marks day 22 of the government shutdown, now the second-longest in U.S. history. The longest shutdown lasted 35 days from December 2018 to January 2019 during President Donald Trump's first term.