Now hold up…we’ve heard about shutdown chaos before, but this one is hitting way too close to home. With the federal government still at a standstill, nearly 42 million Americans are at risk of losing their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits as early as next month.
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SNAP’s Running Low, And The Clock Is Ticking
According to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, the SNAP program — also known as food stamps — will reportedly run out of money in just two weeks if funding isn’t restored. Let that sink in: millions of families could be left without the help they depend on to eat. Rollins told reporters that the government shutdown has pushed the program to the brink. She said, “So you’re talking about millions and millions of vulnerable families, of hungry families that are not going to have access to these programs because of this shutdown.” While the Trump administration has found money to temporarily keep other services going, it’s not clear if they’ll do the same for SNAP. And, people are watching very closely.
Politics First, Food Stamps Second?
Like many others in the Trump camp, Rollins is pointing fingers at Democrats. The secretary claimed that they’re more focused on political agendas than feeding families. But Democrats are clapping back, too. The party claims that Republicans are the ones blocking a spending deal that would keep programs like SNAP afloat. And while the political blame game plays out, the USDA is already telling states to pause November food stamp payments. Now, that move has left state officials scrambling. In New York, Governor Kathy Hochul didn’t hold back. She called the decision “deliberate and unprecedented” and accused the administration of using hunger as a political weapon.
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Thanksgiving Is Coming — But Will Families Eat?
Meanwhile, behind the scenes, the USDA is juggling numbers. With only $6 billion in backup funding, and an $8 billion price tag just for November’s benefits, there’s a serious shortfall. And unlike WIC, which was temporarily saved by a $300 million shift in funds, there’s not enough money left to cover both programs. That means 17 states have already had to stop accepting new SNAP applications. All this comes just weeks before Thanksgiving, a time when families rely heavily on these benefits. And unfortunately, food banks are already stretched thin. “We can’t let households who need help purchasing food become another casualty of this shutdown,” said Ty Jones Cox of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
