Second week of U.S. government shutdown: How much damage has been done?

The U.S. government shutdown entered its second week on Monday, with no sign of a deal between President Donald Trump's Republicans and Democrats to end the crisis.

The Trump administration has cut funding and programs in blue states and sought to dismantle federal agencies led by Democrats. Meanwhile, Democrats have shown a rare sense of unity, hoping to reverse declining approval ratings through the fight.

While the two parties remain deadlocked over "who gets the money," more than two million federal employees, and even the U.S. economy, are bearing the cost of the government shutdown every passing moment.

According to estimates from the White House Council of Economic Advisers, each week of a federal government shutdown costs the U.S. economy about $15 billion.

No paycheck

Compensation for the U.S. president and members of Congress is protected by the Constitution, meaning they are still getting paid even during a government shutdown. However, this is not the case for the more than two million federal employees who rely on the U.S. government for their wages.

Among them, 750,000 have been furloughed, while the remaining "essential positions," including military personnel, air traffic controllers and federal firefighters, will continue working without pay until the government reopens.

The U.S. Navy posted a "survival guide" on its official website, suggesting soldiers apply for unemployment benefits and contact banks for loans to advance their wages, and even listing relief channels of the Red Cross.

To apply for internal military assistance, soldiers are required to submit a long list of materials, including private information such as family savings balances, utility bills and children's school lunch fees.

According to the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, air traffic staffing has been cut by 50 percent in some areas since the shutdown started last week.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a notice on Tuesday stating that flights in major cities such as Chicago, Dallas and Nashville have been experiencing widespread delays. The FAA said the delays were due to staff shortages during the government shutdown.

An Ipsos survey showed that 60 percent of Americans would cancel or avoid air travel during a government shutdown, and 81 percent believed the shutdown would harm the economy.

Long-term damage　

According to U.S. media reports, the White House had planned to roll out an agricultural subsidy program this week, allocating $12 to $13 billion to assist farmers struggling amid the tariff war. However, due to the shutdown, this aid has been put on hold "for the time being."

Millions of pregnant women and children who rely on food, housing and energy subsidies also face the risk of funding shortages. Housing assistance and energy subsidies may be suspended, while school lunch subsidies might have to be temporarily covered by local governments.

U.S. media also highlighted further long-term impacts, including halted approvals for new air routes, suspended pilot training and license issuance, delays in drug approvals, and interruptions to a wide range of scientific research.

A recent poll by The New York Times showed that only 33 percent of U.S. voters believe that the United States is capable of solving its political problems, and 41 percent said they don't believe the country is a democracy.