Government Shutdown Threatens SNAP Benefits for 42 Million Americans

Strategic Insights -

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has ruled that it cannot use its contingency fund to provide food assistance benefits to 42 million people in November due to the government shutdown. This decision is a reversal from the agency's earlier stance and puts the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in jeopardy. The program has about $6 billion in the contingency fund, which is short of the roughly $9 billion needed to cover a full month of the program. The shutdown, caused by a stalemate in Congress over a stopgap spending bill, has left SNAP funding unenacted.

Key Takeaways:

  • The USDA's contingency fund cannot be used to provide food assistance benefits for 42 million people in November, according to the agency's memo.
  • The contingency fund is meant for natural disasters and similar emergencies, not for a lack of appropriations, as stated in the USDA's memo.
  • The difference between the USDA's current stance and its September 30 contingency plan is striking, with the plan greenlighting the use of SNAP's contingency fund during a lapse in funding.
  • States would not be reimbursed if they use their own funds to cover the cost of the benefits, as stated in the USDA's memo.
  • The agency has shuffled funds to cover several nutrition programs, including the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, or WIC, as well as the National School Lunch Program and the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
  • More than 200 House Democrats and 46 Senate Democrats have urged USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins to use the contingency fund and reprogram other money to cover a $3 billion shortfall.
  • The chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Republican Susan Collins, has also urged Rollins to consider all available options to ensure SNAP benefits continue.
  • If a deal is reached, SNAP benefits could be delayed even if communities are informed, and delays are expected in West Virginia, where roughly 1 in 6 residents rely on SNAP each month.
  • A White House Office of Management and Budget official during the Obama administration has stated that USDA is legally required to use its SNAP contingency funds, as they were provided by Congress for use when SNAP funding is inadequate.

Statistics:

  • 42 million people rely on SNAP benefits.
  • $6 billion is available in the contingency fund.
  • $9 billion is needed to cover a full month of the program.
  • More than 200 House Democrats have signed a letter urging Secretary Rollins to use the contingency fund.
  • 46 Senate Democrats have also sent a letter to Secretary Rollins.
  • Roughly 1 in 6 West Virginians rely on SNAP benefits.
  • The time needed to process payments and make them available for recipients means SNAP benefits would likely be delayed even if Congress immediately reached a deal to end the shutdown.

Sources:

  • A memo from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
  • A copy of the USDA's September 30 shutdown plan.
  • Axios, a news outlet.
  • NewsFromTheStates.com, a news website.
  • Democrats-Agriculture.house.gov, a website for the House Democrats' Agriculture Committee.
  • Senate Democrats' letter to Secretary Rollins, October 24, 2025.
  • A statement from Sharon Parrott, a White House Office of Management and Budget official during the Obama administration.