Moreover, the unprecedented government shutdown cuts off the nation’s largest anti-hunger program for the first time in history, leaving states and food banks scrambling to fill the gap.
SNAP food stamp benefits have been cut off for nearly 42 million Americans as Congress failed to reopen the government before funding ran out Saturday. The SNAP food stamp benefits lapse marks the first time in the program’s 60-year history that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program has gone dark during a shutdown. SNAP food stamp benefits, which provide low-income families with an average of $177 monthly for groceries, stopped flowing despite a federal judge’s eleventh-hour order directing the Trump administration to use emergency funds. However, even that court intervention wasn’t enough to prevent the immediate cessation of benefits.
President Donald Trump wrote on social media Friday evening that he instructed lawyers to seek court clarification on legally funding SNAP. Nevertheless, he warned that even with immediate guidance, benefits would be delayed while states process the funding. For now, states, food banks and nonprofit organizations are scrambling to backfill the loss of critical federal dollars ahead of Thanksgiving.
SNAP Food Stamp Benefits Court Battle Continues
A federal judge directed the Trump administration to tap emergency funds for November food aid. However, it remains unclear whether officials will appeal the ruling. Trump administration officials have insisted they lack authority to access emergency money for SNAP. Furthermore, they claim insufficient funds on hand to cover the estimated $9 billion needed for November benefits.
Even if officials comply with the court order, it will take days and potentially weeks to restore benefits. This delay occurs because the administration hasn’t established a system to disperse partial funds since the shutdown began one month ago. Senator Amy Klobuchar stated after Friday’s court decision that the sooner USDA follows the law, the sooner participants receive benefits. However, she warned that intransigence could easily cause delays of several days.
More than two dozen Democratic state officials sued the Trump administration over the benefits lapse in a separate lawsuit still pending formal decision. Meanwhile, Republican officials point blame at Congressional Democrats who continue blocking the clean funding stopgap including SNAP money.
States Declare Emergencies Over SNAP Food Stamp Benefits
The impact sweeps across red and blue states alike. In fact, just over half of all SNAP recipients live in states that backed Trump in last year’s election. Several states are now dipping into their own coffers to donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to food banks. Virginia, Louisiana and New York, among others, have declared states of emergency on SNAP.
Republican Governor Jim Pillen of Nebraska blamed Democrats in a statement on his state’s SNAP website. He stated that SNAP benefits many Nebraska families and kids depend on are now unavailable in November. According to Pillen, this shutdown was absolutely preventable and urged members to approve clean funding legislation.
State budgets, however, will only cover a fraction of federal funds received for the past 60 years. Moreover, states haven’t received any promise of reimbursement from the Trump administration. Senator Josh Hawley warned that 42 million Americans will go without food. He emphasized that every day this continues, the worse it gets.
Multiple Nutrition Programs Face Funding Crisis
The SNAP pause isn’t happening in isolation. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children is also running out of federal funds. As a result, families with young children face harder access to infant formula and everyday groceries. Additionally, Head Start centers providing nutritious meals to children are being forced to close across the country.
The need for nutrition assistance rose sharply in recent years as rising food inflation made it difficult for low-income families to purchase necessities. However, Trump has looked to slash overall spending on safety net programs with his One Big Beautiful Bill. Furthermore, funding for food banks and nonprofits across the country has been cut.
George Matysik, executive director for a Philadelphia-area food bank, described the reality as “going from a brown out to a black out.” His organization’s budget was slashed by 20 percent thanks to lost federal funding earlier this year. Meanwhile, his food pantries have seen a 12-fold increase in new families seeking help just in the last two weeks.
Federal Workers Turn to Food Banks During Shutdown
In the Washington area, nonprofits like Capital Area Food Bank have hosted several food distributions targeted at thousands of federal workers. These workers have gone without pay for a month or lost their jobs permanently. One furloughed Defense Department worker visiting a Virginia distribution site said it was her first time seeking help from a food bank.
Senator Ben Ray Luján, whose home state of New Mexico has the nation’s highest SNAP participation rate, expressed deep concern. He stated he can’t describe the level of anxiety from families who don’t know if they’ll be able to put food on the table. More than one in five New Mexico residents rely on the program.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune warned reporters this week that things will get ugly fast. The unprecedented pause reveals how difficult it has become for Washington to find common ground on previously bipartisan issues. SNAP, which serves nearly 42 million people, has always been funded during government shutdowns, including during Trump’s first term.
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