Government shutdown threatens food assistance for millions nationwide

Tens of millions of People who depend on federal meals advantages could possibly be among the many subsequent victims of the continuing authorities shutdown.

About 42 million individuals within the U.S. who use the Supplemental Vitamin Help Program (SNAP) are prone to not receiving help on Nov. 1, when this system’s funds are anticipated to expire, the U.S. Division of Agriculture (USDA) warned authorities companies in a memo obtained by Fox Information Digital on Thursday.

Greater than two dozen states have warned residents of potential funding shortfalls. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency Thursday over SNAP advantages.

“Roughly $8 billion is required every month to fund SNAP advantages throughout the nation. With out funding, it is going to influence not solely teams of individuals, however individuals throughout the nation,” stated Rev. Eugene Cho, president and CEO of Bread for the World, a nonprofit group that works with native companions to teach recipients about meals entry.

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Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks to the media subsequent to Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., after assembly with President Donald Trump on the White Home, September 29, 2025. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

Cho defined to Fox Information Digital that some states will really feel the drying up of presidency funding greater than others.

“Sure, the funding comes from the federal authorities, however it’s managed by way of native states,” he stated. “And so, in the case of SNAP, states are on slightly little bit of a special beat in the case of how they convey the discount or elimination of SNAP advantages. It performs out slightly otherwise from state to state.”

The longer the shutdown lasts, the much less cash will turn out to be accessible for the Girls, Infants and Youngsters (WIC) diet program, which helps nearly seven million susceptible pregnant girls and youngsters below the age of 5.

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It might pose a political headache for Democrats who’ve resisted agreeing to Republicans’ federal funding plan for greater than a month and are demanding important well being care concessions in return for his or her assist.

“We’re approaching a turning level for Senate Democrats. Proceed to advance well being look after illegals or reopen the federal government in order that moms, infants, and probably the most susceptible amongst us can obtain WIC and SNAP allocations in a well timed method,” a USDA spokesperson instructed Fox Information Digital.

The Home of Representatives handed a seven-week extension of funding for fiscal yr 2025 on September 19, largely alongside partisan strains. The measure, a seamless decision (CR), is meant to offer lawmakers extra time to strike a longer-term deal for fiscal yr 2026.

A neighborhood bodega with an “EBT accepted right here” sign-in window in Queens, New York. (Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Common Photographs Group through Getty Photographs)

However within the Senate, the place it takes extra Democrats to interrupt a filibuster than voted for one, progress has stalled, with laws already having failed a dozen instances.

Democrats are demanding that any spending plan be accompanied by an extension of the elevated Obamacare subsidies that expire on the finish of 2025.

They’ve additionally referred to as on Republicans to repeal the Medicaid cuts handed earlier this yr of their One Massive, Stunning Invoice Act (OBBBA).

“Tens of millions of American households are about to lose entry to meals help as Democrats brazenly admit they worry their far-left base and refuse to reopen the federal government,” Home Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., instructed Fox Information Digital.

Thompson’s panel has jurisdiction over SNAP within the Home of Representatives.

“We have to reopen the federal government so we are able to put People first by making certain households can put meals on the desk and our farmers are supported,” he stated.

Democrats might additionally face the political quagmire of beforehand talking out in opposition to Republicans who wished to increase SNAP work necessities in OBBBA, and who at the moment are being blamed by the proper for drying up federal meals advantages.

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The Trump administration has some energy to maneuver present funding to assist cowl shortfalls in the course of the shutdown. The White Home on Oct. 15 shifted analysis and improvement funding on the Pentagon to cowl active-duty navy paychecks and reallocated about $300 million from tariff revenues to the WIC earlier this month.

However such an answer can be non permanent, as the 2 changes talked about above have been.

When reached for touch upon the administration’s SNAP warning, the highest Democrat on the Home Agriculture Committee instructed Fox Information Digital that USDA ought to faucet into the administration’s emergency reserves for SNAP.

“It is time for the federal government to do what’s proper for seniors, youngsters and veterans and use the SNAP reduction fund to make sure advantages might be offered in November,” stated Rating Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn.

SNAP’s emergency fund at present has about $5 billion — not sufficient for a whole month of service.

Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries instructed reporters Thursday that he believed the White Home would benefit from that funding.

“As with earlier authorities shutdowns, the cash might be discovered by the federal government if it chooses. Actually, there may be about $5 billion accessible in a contingency fund for a lot of these emergencies,” Jeffries stated. “However the authorities refuses to agree to make use of it. Why? As a result of they wish to starve the American individuals as a part of their ongoing efforts to brutalize abnormal People.”