 "How will Americans eat next month? Millions face food stamp cuts as shutdown drags on")
With Thanksgiving approaching, millions of Americans could soon face hunger as a deep political stalemate in Washington threatens to suspend food stamp payments. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which supports 42 million people across the US, may run out of funds next month due to the ongoing government shutdown and lack of a spending agreement between Republicans and Democrats.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins warned reporters at the White House on Thursday that SNAP funding will face a shortfall in two weeks. “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,” Rollins said. In a post on X, she blamed Democrats for putting “their political agenda ahead of food security for American families.”
SNAP funding crisis and political blame game
Democrats, in turn, have accused Republicans of blocking a deal to extend the expiring Obamacare premium subsidies. Rollins’ comments came a week after the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) informed states that if the federal funding lapse continues, there will not be enough resources to deliver full food stamp benefits in November. The USDA has also asked states to postpone next month’s payments until further notice.
What is SNAP?
SNAP, the nation’s largest anti-hunger programme, provides around $188 per person monthly. It currently holds a contingency fund of approximately $6 billion, but November payments are expected to total $8 billion. Under the USDA’s shutdown plan, this multi-year contingency funding can be used temporarily, though it may not cover the full requirement. When asked if partial benefits would be issued, a senior official pointed to Rollins’ statement that the funds would be depleted within two weeks, according to CNN.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul criticised the Trump administration for instructing states to halt regular monthly disbursements. As lawmakers continue to battle over the fiscal year spending bill, the food stamp programme becomes the second major nutrition aid scheme in danger of losing funding since the October 1 government shutdown.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsStates halt new applications amid uncertainty
At least 17 states are preparing to stop accepting new food stamp applications as the funding shortage looms. Their systems require issuing November benefits along with half of October’s, creating an additional financial strain. Other states, however, may process October applications separately to access available funds for both months.
This is not the first time food stamps have been threatened during a shutdown. During the record-breaking 2018 standoff, the USDA initially warned that benefits would expire by the end of January but later managed to fund February payments using an emergency clause allowing disbursements within 30 days of a funding lapse.
As the political deadlock deepens, millions of American families now face an uncertain November, and potentially, an empty Thanksgiving table.
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