What are the benefits of SNAP and what happens during a shutdown?
SNAP helps 41.7 million Americans put food on the table, but benefits could stop starting Nov. 1 due to the government shutdown.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s administration is changing course on its use of emergency funds to pay Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, with about 42 million low-income Americans expected to lose their benefits on Nov. 1.
President Trump said he has directed lawyers in the executive branch to find a way for the federal government to legally fund SNAP as soon as possible after the government argued it could not keep benefits flowing during the shutdown.
“We’re already far behind as Democrats continue to shut down the government until the monthly payday. Even if we get guidance right away, unfortunately, it will be delayed until states come up with the money,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I would be honored to provide funding, as I have done with military and law enforcement salaries, if appropriate legal direction is given by the courts.”
His comments came after judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ruled that the government cannot cut off funding for SNAP benefits during an extended government shutdown. They gave the administration until Nov. 3 to report. The justices suggested the administration could allow benefits to be cut or program funds to be transferred.
The Agriculture Department previously said a $5.25 billion emergency fund was available to continue food assistance. But the department reversed course amid a standoff with Senate Democrats who called for reinstating deep cuts in health benefits to reopen the government.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said at a press conference Friday morning that reserve funds cannot be used while the government is closed. And even if that were possible, Rollins said the money would not be enough to cover the $9.2 billion needed to continue the program in November, echoing arguments the Justice Department made in court.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said at Rollins’ press conference that the lawsuit seeking to use reserve funds is “frivolous.” He said it was intended to serve as a talking point for Democrats.
“I think they know for a fact that what they submitted to the court is false,” Johnson said. “They’re using people as pawns in this game.”
The federal government was shut down on October 1 after Republicans and Democrats could not agree on a bill to keep the government open. Republicans are hoping to pass a short-term bill that would continue existing funding, while Democrats are pushing a bill that would restore health care benefits that have been eliminated.
If the closure continues until Tuesday, it will be tied for the longest on record. The record closure in 2019 ended after 35 days of traffic jams.
On Friday, President Trump suggested to reporters on Air Force One that most SNAP beneficiaries are Democrats.
“When we talk about SNAP, we’re primarily talking about Democrats. But I’m the president, so I want to help everybody. I want to help Democrats, I want to help Republicans. But when we talk about SNAP, as you can see, it’s mostly Democrats. They’re hurting their own people,” Trump said.
Hours later, President Trump took a different approach. “I don’t want Americans to go hungry because Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and reopen the government,” he said on social media.
He said SNAP beneficiaries should call Senate Democrats and tell them to reopen the government.
A day earlier, President Trump pressured Republicans to lift the Senate filibuster to override the Democratic blockade and pass the bill with a simple majority.
Americans in pain
Federal employees have been suffering for weeks after their paychecks were garnished by the federal government. But the pain is spreading to millions of other Americans as the government begins its 32nd day of shutdown.
About 64,000 Transportation Security Administration employees and 13,000 air traffic controllers, who are considered “essential” workers, are working without pay, which Trump officials say could lead to a travel disaster around Thanksgiving.
November 1st also marks the first day of public enrollment for the Affordable Care Act. Millions of Americans will learn how much they can expect to pay for health insurance in 2026. A federal grant that helps offset the cost of the program is set to expire at the end of this year. The Democratic Party of Japan is calling for continued reinforcement of aid as one of its demands for reopening the government.
Contributor: Bert Jansen
