TAMPA, Fla. — With a possible resolution ahead for the government shutdown, Tampa Bay 28 asked experts how long some lingering impacts should last.
During the shutdown, days turned to weeks as some families had to make hard decisions to get by.
Watch full report from Mary O'Connell
"When you are a mom trying to plan meals, you know how to survive,” said Raelynn Grier.
"Today it's like honestly put gas in my car or go get something to eat? I don't have the money to do both,” said Chantille Manuel.
Those are a few of the voices we've listened to recently of people who receive SNAP benefits.
"In Florida, it serves just over three million people, so it really is the difference between putting food on the table and not being able to put food on the table,” said Crystal FitzSimons, President of the Food Research and Action Center, a national anti-hunger organization.
FitzSimons weighed in on when SNAP recipients should expect their benefits to be restored.
"It could go really quickly,” said FitzSimons. “It could take a few days in states, but our hope is that states will be ready to move on this as soon as the government reopens."
Tampa Bay 28 also reached out to the USDA. A USDA spokesperson said upon the government reopening, it’ll be within 24 hours for most states.
Flights have also been significantly impacted by the shutdown, with airports across the country hit with delays and cancellations.
Katy Nastro, the spokesperson and travel expert for the Going travel app, explained how quickly consumers should anticipate travel to bounce back.
"We want travelers to be aware that this is not going to be a quick fix in terms of not seeing any disruptions or flights being added back to the schedule,” said Nastro. "This is going to be a gradual increase, from the information that we know from the FAA. It's likely we're going to see the reductions start to be then reduced gradually."
Of course, there’s about a two-week runway until Thanksgiving.
"We're cautiously optimistic there that we should see fewer disruptions across the Thanksgiving week, but anything can happen,” said Nastro. “Weather is still a factor when we think about Thanksgiving travel."
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Mary O’Connell has a primary focus on education-related stories for Tampa Bay 28. But she also keeps an eye on public health concerns and the always-changing car insurance market. Reach out to Mary to share any of your questions or concerns.
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