SNAP Benefits Halted Amid Government Shutdown

More than 40 million Americans at risk as USDA blames Democrats for the delay

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has confirmed that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will not be issued on November 1 due to the ongoing government shutdown — a decision that could leave millions without food support. The department’s online statement pointed to Senate Democrats as the cause of the impasse, saying simply: “The well has run dry.”

Funding Stalemate and Limited Options

Over 200 Democratic representatives have urged the USDA to use SNAP’s contingency fund, which currently holds between $5 billion and $6 billion, to maintain partial aid. However, the November benefits alone require $8 billion, and internal memos indicate the fund cannot be accessed during a shutdown. States have also been warned they will not be reimbursed if they attempt to cover the shortfall.

Families Face Growing Hardship

SNAP benefits — averaging $187 per month per recipient — primarily assist working families, seniors, and individuals with disabilities earning less than 130% of the federal poverty line. Advocacy groups warn that cutting off aid could trigger the worst hunger crisis since the Great Depression, as food banks brace for surging demand. “We will be there to do as much as we can,” said the Oregon Food Bank president, “but it will not be enough.”

Political Blame Game

Republicans claim Democrats’ insistence on maintaining Affordable Care Act subsidies is blocking a funding resolution. Democrats counter that GOP claims about benefits for undocumented immigrants are false and argue that the subsidies serve the same low-income families who rely on SNAP. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) told CNN that negotiations could reopen the government “on Tuesday or Wednesday” if Republicans “came to the table.”