Democrats Demand Trump Administration Fund November Food Benefits
Source: Huff Post
Oct 27, 2025, 01:28 PM EDT
WASHINGTON ― Food benefits for millions have become a top flashpoint in the government shutdown that shows no end in sight. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is adamant that it cant pay next months Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits unless Congress approves legislation to fund agency operations. Bottom line, the well has run dry. At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01, says a prominent message on the agencys website.
The USDA said in a Friday memo it couldnt use contingency funds or money from other sources to cover all or part of the roughly $8 billion needed for Novembers SNAP allotment. The position seemed to contradict a September contingency plan, since deleted from the USDAs website, that said Congress intended that SNAPs operations should continue and that contingency funds are also available to fund participant benefits in the event that a lapse occurs in the middle of the fiscal year.
Democrats say any missing benefits will be the Trump administrations fault, not theirs. Except for certain essential functions, federal agencies shut down earlier this month after most Senate Democrats voted against a continuing resolution that would have funded operations into mid-November.
There are clear steps the administration can and must take immediately to ensure that millions of families across the country can put food on their table in November, congressional Democrats said in a letter to the USDA on Friday. Choosing not to ensure SNAP benefits reach those in need this November would be a gross dereliction of your responsibilities to the American people.
Read more: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/government-shutdodwn-snap-november_n_68ff9e16e4b0fb1b95157fd6?origin=home-whats-happening-unit
The USDA said in a Friday memo it couldnt use contingency funds or money from other sources to cover all or part of the roughly $8 billion needed for Novembers SNAP allotment. The position seemed to contradict a September contingency plan, since deleted from the USDAs website, that said Congress intended that SNAPs operations should continue and that contingency funds are also available to fund participant benefits in the event that a lapse occurs in the middle of the fiscal year.
Link to now-deleted but ARCHIVED USDA "Contingency Plan" if there was a funding lapse (PDF) -
https://web.archive.org/web/20251001024645/https:/www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fy2026-usda-lapse-plan.pdf
More proof that everything they do is to "blame the libs" for their craven actions.