The U.S. government shutdown becomes painfully real for tens of millions Americans this weekend as it hit the one-month mark with food aid disrupted, cuts to child care kicking in, and health insurance premiums spiking.

The shutdown is expected to break the 35-day record set in President Donald Trump’s first term next week, after the Senate left town Thursday for a long weekend. The House hasn’t been in session since Sept. 19.

Two federal judges ruled Friday that the Trump administration’s refusal to distribute federal funds for November food aid was likely unlawful. But the timing of those orders remain uncertain, so assistance this month appeared to still be delayed for many of the 42 million low-income Americans covered by the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program — better known as SNAP or food stamps.

Representatives of the Democratic-led states that sued to challenge the SNAP cutoff previously said it would likely take a week or more to get benefits loaded onto recipients’ cards even if the federal aid suspension is reversed. The Trump administration also could appeal the court rulings.

Trump posted on social media late Friday that he had asked administration lawyer to “ask the Court to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible.”

He acknowledged that even with court guidance, SNAP funds “will unfortunately be delayed.”

Some Democratic states, including New York and Maryland, previously announced plans to use state funds to help residents whose federal SNAP benefits are interrupted.

At the same time, more than 20 million Americans who get their health insurance through Affordable Care Act exchanges are being hit with sticker shock as open enrollment for coverage next year started Saturday across the country. Democrats’ demands to stave off that price surge by renewing expiring Obamacare subsidies are at the center of the shutdown fight.

Costs for the insurance will double on average because of the expiration of premium credits, according to an analysis by KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research foundation. Those Obamacare subsidies disproportionately benefit residents of Republican-held congressional districts, which could put pressure on GOP lawmakers to extend the premium credits.

More than 65,000 children enrolled in 140 Head Start day care and early learning programs across 41 states are at risk of losing services because operational funding for those centers ran out on Saturday, according to the National Head Start Association.

“Their families may have to forgo days of work and their employers may be affected as well,” Yasmina Vinci, executive director of the group, said in a statement.

Flight disruptions are growing as unpaid air traffic controllers call in sick. Vice President JD Vance warned Thursday after meeting with airline executives that a prolonged government shutdown would likely snarl travel during the busy holiday period.

Air travel slowed across the country Friday, including flights at Newark Liberty International Airport near New York, Boston Logan International Airport, and at Austin and Nashville due to staffing constraints.

Both parties are banking on the heightened pain across Americans’ lives will force the other into caving to their demands. Republicans want Democrats to pass their short-term funding bill, which has failed over a dozen times so far. Democrats want any government spending bill to include an extension to the Affordable Care Act tax credits.

Before senators left town on Thursday, several said there had been ongoing conversations among small bipartisan groups, though they still did not see a clear path out of the impasse.

“I feel like it’s more likely that we get a vote before Thanksgiving, but there’s still a lot of work to do,” Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, said.

The Trump administration managed to reallocate money to pay the military from various sources, including the Pentagon’s research and development account.

But hundreds of thousands of other federal workers have been either furloughed or working without pay since Oct. 1. Federal courts have temporarily stalled a Trump administration effort to permanently dismiss mass numbers of government employees during the shutdown.

The shutdown cost the U.S. economy at least $18 billion during the first four weeks, and that number is set to “intensify” the longer the impasse continues, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

As conversations among rank-and-file senators continue, some say they are still waiting for formal sit-downs between congressional leadership and Trump to get the ball rolling. He has largely taken a step back from forcing Congress to reach a deal.

Trump returned from a weeklong trip to Asia on Thursday, where he discussed trade and other policy issues with foreign leaders. But he is spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

“It’s one thing for him not to engage when he’s overseas, it’s even harder for him not to engage when he’s here,” Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, said.

Unions and business groups stepped up their involvement over the past week. The American Federation of Government Employees called on Democratic senators to set aside their demands to extend health subsidies and support a short-term funding package.

More than a dozen major business groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Business Roundtable also called on Congress to pass temporary funding.

“The longer the shutdown persists, the larger and more durable the economic damage becomes — and some of it could never be recovered,” the groups said in a statement.

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(With assistance from Gregory Korte.)

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