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8h ago

USDA Rules Out Emergency Funds for SNAP as Shutdown Puts November Benefits at Risk

New guidance says contingency reserves are legally limited to sudden disasters, leaving no mechanism to repay states that front food aid.

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U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy speaks alongside Representative Lisa McClain (R-MI), Representative Tom Emmer (R-MN), and U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) during a press conference on air traffic controller pay and the government shutdown at the U.S. Capitol on October 23, 2025 in Washington, DC. © Photo by Eric Lee/Getty Images
People cross Pennsylvania Avenue near the U.S. Capitol at dawn on October 1, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, left, and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., walk through Statuary Hall at the Capitol to a news conference on day 23 of the government shutdown, in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Overview

  • A USDA memo obtained Friday warns roughly 42 million people may not receive November SNAP benefits if the funding lapse continues.
  • The department says SNAP’s contingency fund cannot be used for routine monthly payments and states would not be reimbursed if they issue benefits on their own.
  • At least 25 states have alerted residents to possible delays or halts starting Nov. 1, and some governors are pursuing emergency measures or private relief efforts.
  • The administration shifted about $300 million in tariff revenue to keep WIC operating temporarily, but that stopgap is expected to be exhausted within weeks.
  • Congress remains deadlocked after repeated failed Senate votes, and a bill from Sen. Josh Hawley to provide emergency SNAP funding has been introduced but not enacted.