WASHINGTON (AP) — As the government shutdown drama reached a boiling point on Saturday, critical issues surrounding federal food aid and healthcare costs loomed large. Millions of Americans braced for potential disruptions to their food assistance and soaring health insurance expenses.

With basic necessities such as food and healthcare at risk, the ongoing deadlock is impacting households nationwide. Although federal judges temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s plans to halt payments for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the delay in disbursements could still leave many struggling to afford groceries.

The situation has added to the mounting tension across the country, compounded by a month of missed paychecks for federal employees and increasing flight delays. Now the second-longest shutdown in U.S. history, the impasse marked its second month on Saturday, with little indication of resolution as lawmakers remained firm in their stances.

Congressional activity has stalled, with the House not convening for legislative duties in over six weeks. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., adjourned the Senate for the weekend after bipartisan negotiations failed to yield significant breakthroughs.

Thune expressed hope that mounting pressure and the tangible effects of the shutdown would drive all parties to reconsider their positions and seek a viable solution.

As the deadlock becomes increasingly untenable, President Donald Trump continues to push for action, while Democratic leaders caution that the backlash over escalating health insurance costs may soon compel Congress to intervene.

“This weekend, Americans face a health care crisis unprecedented in modern times,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said this week.

Delays and uncertainty around SNAP

The Department of Agriculture planned to withhold payments to the food program starting on Saturday until two federal judges ordered the administration to make them. Trump said he would provide the money but wanted more legal direction from the court, which will not happen until Monday.

Benefits were already facing delays because it takes a week or more to load SNAP cards in many states.

“People are just nervous, scared,” said Jill Corbin, the director of the St. Vincent De Paul soup kitchen and food pantry in Norwich, Connecticut. ”It’s not really a definite answer that we have right now.”

As people lined up early Saturday for hot meals and groceries, the organization had 10 extra volunteers to help newcomers navigate the process. On Wednesday, some 400 families visited the food pantry and 555 people received hot meals.

“It’s kind of like everything is unraveling at the same time,” Corbin said. “I’m not going to lie. It is challenging.”

The SNAP program serves about 1 in 8 Americans and costs about $8 billion per month. The judges agreed that the USDA needed to at least tap a contingency fund of about $5 billion to keep the program running. But that left some uncertainty about whether the department would use additional money or only provide partial benefits for the month.

“The Trump administration needs to follow the law and fix this problem immediately by working closely with states to get nutritional assistance to the millions who rely on it as soon as possible,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said in a statement following the ruling.

Democrats demanded this week that the government fund snap, but Republicans responded by arguing the program is in such a dire situation because Democrats have repeatedly voted against a short-term government funding bill.

“We are now reaching a breaking point thanks to Democrats voting no on government funding, now 14 different times,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said at a news conference Friday.

Trump injected himself into the debate late Thursday by suggesting that Republican senators, who hold the majority, end the shutdown by getting rid of the filibuster rules that prevent most legislation from advancing unless it has the support of at least 60 senators. Democrats have used the filibuster to block a funding bill in the Senate for weeks.

Republican leaders quickly rejected Trump’s idea, but the discussion showed how desperate the fight has become.

Health care subsidies expiring

The annual sign-up period for the Affordable Care Act health insurance also begins Saturday, and there are sharp increases in what people are paying for coverage. Enhanced tax credits that help most enrollees pay for the health plans are set to expire next year.

Democrats have rallied around a push to extend those credits and have refused to vote for government funding legislation until Congress acts.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., spoke on the Senate floor this week about constituents who she said face premium increases of up to $2,000 a month if the credits expire.

“I am hearing from families in my state today who are panicked,” she said. “The time to act is now.”

If Congress does not extend the credits, subsidized enrollees will face cost increases of about 114%, or more than $1,000 per year, on average, health care research nonprofit KFF found.

In the days before the start of open enrollment, Democratic officials across the country warned that the cost increases would hit their constituents hard.

In Wisconsin, for example, families on the ACA’s silver plan could see premium increases of roughly $12,500 to $24,500 annually depending on their location. Sixty-year-old couples could face increases ranging from nearly $19,900 to $33,150 annually.

“No matter what the percentage is, it’s a hell of a lot,” Gov. Tony Evers, D-Wis., said.

Some Republicans in Congress have been open to the idea of extending the subsidies, but they also want to make major changes to the health overhaul enacted while Democrat Barack Obama was president. Thune has offered Democrats a vote on extending the benefits, but has not guaranteed a result. And he is demanding that Democrats first vote to reopen the government.

So the country waits and watches for Congress to act.

T.J. McCuin, whose family owns and operates farmers markets in Mesa and Apache Junction, Arizona, said 15% of the markets’ customers use SNAP benefits. He was not assuming the delays would immediately hurt the business, but added, “Hopefully this isn’t a long-term problem because once those benefits run out, then it’s going to start to hurt.”