Texans wait in line at food banks as government shutdown suspends SNAP
Hundreds of cars were waiting in food bank lines in Texas as SNAP benefits were suspended due to the government shutdown.
WASHINGTON – The Trump administration announced it will distribute a portion of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in November after two federal judges ruled that the Department of Agriculture must cover food stamps during the government shutdown.
In an Oct. 3 federal court filing, the Trump administration said the USDA is following the judge’s order and will “fulfill its obligation to disburse the full SNAP reserve today.”
“Pursuant to orders issued by the federal district courts in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, FNS intends to fully deplete the SNAP reserve and reduce SNAP benefits for November 2025,” Patrick Penn, USDA assistant secretary for food, nutrition and consumer services, said in a court filing.
But the money, drawn from a fund known as the Reserve Fund, is only enough to cover “50% of eligible households’ current allocations,” the administration said. Approximately 42 million Americans receive SNAP benefits, commonly known as food stamps.
The USDA currently has $4.65 billion in SNAP emergency funds, which is about half of the $9.2 billion it will cost SNAP, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in November.
“This means there will be no funds left for new SNAP applicants who qualify in November, for disaster assistance, or as a cushion against the potentially devastating consequences of a complete shutdown of SNAP,” Penn said.
Federal judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ruled on October 31 that the Trump administration must use reserve funds to make SNAP payments. The ruling came in a lawsuit brought by more than 20 Democratic-led states challenging President Trump’s original plan to withhold SNAP payments during the 34-day government shutdown.
X Contact Joey Garrison at @joeygarrison.
